In honor of the rain...

One of my favorite poems by the great Shel Silverstein...

Rain

I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

~Brooke

Goodbye, Dear Friend

Today I had to say goodbye to fellow journalist and friend, John Adams.

I first met John in 2005, when I walked into The Downey Patriot's office as a junior in college looking for an internship. Almost immediately, John welcomed me aboard and I was tucked away in a corner typing obituaries. I spent three days a week in the office that summer and well, loved every minute of it.

At the end of the summer, one of the Patriot's sales representatives was moving out to Valencia and John offered me her position. He knew my passion was in writing but guaranteed if I stuck it out, I would be the first to fill a writing position as soon as the paper could offer it. Although my primary job was advertising, John allowed me to write articles here and there and even let me edit articles and photos and assist with putting the paper together.

John, however, had Parkinson's Disease and it was extremely hard to understand him at times. But in all honesty, John's passion for journalism and wisdom in writing was something so evident in his being. He really didn't need to say much - he just did it.

As John's health declined, he decided to sell the paper and write only when he could. But everyone who knew John knows this to be true: he NEVER ONCE used Parkinson's as a excuse. In fact, he would almost try to outdo it. Whenever he fell, he got right back up. And it wasn't until doctors intervened when he had to move into a retirement center, where his medications and meals could be regulated. He was always a brilliant person who had independent ideas - his body just couldn't match it.

In so many ways, John was your typical grumpy old man who LOVED pretty girls. He was funny. He was brutally honest. And he was a man of high ethics, morals and values.

He was John.

Sitting at his memorial service today, I heard and saw the impact this one man had on a community. To my knowledge, John didn't have much of a family, with the exception of a daughter (who, I believe, was not present at the service). But looking around the room, there were more than 50 people - all of which had their own experiences and memories of John. Some were city officials, some were restaurant owners, and some were just friends. But all of us gathered to remember the man who put a good name to journalism and made Downey the very city it is.

After a year of working in advertising, I became a staff writer for The Downey Patriot. For me, John was the first person in my line of work to have faith in me, to the point where he supported me and defended me when needed. He always encouraged me and never criticized, but rather taught. I can't think of a better person to start my career off with and I can only hope that he would be proud of me, just as I was proud to call him editor.

You will be missed John.

~Brooke