Here and gone...
My day started out somewhat depressing with the news of the death of Robert Jordan, one of my favorite authors of all time. He was the author of the massive fantasy epic "The Wheel Of Time", and lost his battle with amyloidosis this weekend. While this was saddening, it wasn't completely unexpected. The man was sick, and he lived a long and fruitful life.
But after I got back to work from lunch, I got a phone call from my wife in tears, asking if I had checked the Forum (the MikePortnoy.com forum that we both frequent) and to tell me that it was a joke. Not understanding, I logged on, and the whole world stopped.
Our dear friend, Keith Kitchens, passed away. From what, I don't know. All we know so far (and I haven't checked the forum again yet) was that he was hospitalized with an illness, and passed away earlier today.
I think I'm still in shock/denial, because I can't process this. Part of me refuses to. Keith wasn't supposed to die. His Zi was supposed to move from China and they were supposed to get married. He was supposed to be happy, goddamnit. Not die in a fucking hospital room without his Zi. Fuck, THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO FUCKING HAPPEN.
My only condolence right now is that he's no longer hurting. Keith dealt with a lot of shit in his life, most of which I won't comment on because it's not my business too. But the man went through some dark fucking times in his life and came out on the other side. Not many people can say that. And now, after all that, he's gone. It's not right, and it's not fair.
Rest in peace, my friend. While we never met in person, we shared a love for music, and I will carry that with me for the rest of my days. I miss you already, Keith.
James