I really don't know where to begin this piece and I have no idea where it'll end as well, however, I do know that my buddy Marc (shown in the picture below) is one of the two friends whom I look at in life as having an unbelievable spirit.
In our younger days, for him yesterday and for me years ago, life was all about music and well music, there wasn't too much more than that for us. Whether the he was dropping beat breaks or spinning the newest vinyls, he was also on point and I would simply sit in the crowd and bob my head to whatever he was playing.
To me the DJ is even bigger than the emcee because without his direction, the "noise" isn't allowed to happen. I've always been the "noise", a wannabe musician, a wannabe host, rapper whatever have you, whereas he has always been the leader!
Back in 2012, I was thinking of putting a live show together and I needed a musical touch/flare and I called up Marc and without hesitation he came to my rescue and helped to solidify a beautiful evening under the stars. I'll never forget his willingness to assist and his heart.
I think we can fast forward to about two years ago or so, now, when I heard the news that Marc was injured in a freak accident at the gym and paralyzed from the waste down. It's hard to place into words or even understand, for that matter, how something like this could happen to someone so pure, it was even harder to try to think of how I could be a blessing to him as he had been to me throughout the years. You see, life isn't always fair in the sense we consider fair and the obstacles we might consider obstacles might just be temporary roadblocks which in time will be overcome as well.
For weeks I battled if he would want to hear from me but my battle was more along the lines of feeling helpless to uplift someone who was always so full of life but now facing a battle unlike any he ever imagined.
The day I text him and asked him if I could come by the hospital/recovery center and see him, I hoped he would tell me no but as fate would have it and as Marc's spirit is, his text read, "Sure but you have to beat the curfew."
As I moseyed up the elevator and slowly walked towards his room number, I thought about what friends would come see me in my time of need, if something traumatic would ever occur, and a spirit came over me that reassured me this was the right thing to do. His smile was intact and he said he'd be okay, "I'll be okay bro, they're saying I may never walk again but I'll be okay." Those words were heavy but this piece is about his heart so the guy that I knew was going to be just fine.
Over the course of the last two years, Marc has done so much to get back to being able to take a few steps with assistance, his family and friends have rallied around him and his zest for life hasn't been diminished.
Last year, I was working a local festival when I spotted Marc in the crowd with one of his family members and I slowly walked over and we exchanged daps and smiles and I asked him to stay put while I grabbed a couple of the other friends in our circle in order to take a picture. About a week ago, I found him again perched on the concourse and we met each other with the same smiles and daps but this time I was greedy and took a picture of just the two of us.
Marc was waiting for the hip hop group Atmosphere to take to the stage and I was making sure the atmosphere was okay in the stadium; in the end seeing him chillin' without a care in the world, I was reminded about his heart of gold and thankful that I could savor moments such as this.