[Harp-L] Re: Chris Michalek R.I.P.

[Mike Fugazzi <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've been a wreck over this all day.  Chris was someone I considered a
close friend and there were some fairly eerie coincidences in my life
around his passing yesterday.  I was fortunate to have been in regular
contact with him for years, including several emails this week.  To be
honest, we rarely talked harmonica anymore and, even when I wanted his
feedback or advice, I always felt he talked to me differently than
some of his other "students".  It always made me feel good to know our
friendship went beyond just talking shop, and he felt I had some
things figured out.  I know he was close like that with many on the
list here, which I think speaks so highly of who Chris was, but as
someone who has a fairly limited amount of close friends and lives a
fairly complicated (but very happy) existence, I was always 100%
comfortable around him and will miss him deeply.

He understood where I was coming from as someone who picked up the
instrument a little too late in life and a little too early in
technology to take it where I would dream to be with it.  I believe
his intense love of family and personal relationships, as well as his
seemingly psychic ways, made it easy for him to understand where I was
coming from and the compromises that I make.  He always seemed to know
just what to say, lol.  I always looked up to him for his ability to
take risks with total confidence in his abilities.

These are a snippet of lyrics from the Blues Traveler song, "Pretty
Angry", which is about the passing of a bandmate in 1999.  I am
sharing them as I feel they are extremely fitting for Buddha.

The will to win, the urge to race
I still can see it on your face
Thought I'd keep up but only crashed
I wasn't built to move that fast
Thought I could match you stride for stride
But I was on the other side
And holding onto the safety rail
With knuckles white, complexion pale
A cloud of dust and you were gone
Thought I would catch you later on
I limped behind, your race was won
But were you racing or on the run?
How you enjoyed, you loved to drive
And I'm destroyed... 'cause I'm alive

If Chris had the ability to understand what was going on, I am sure he
handled his fate like the true warrior he was.  He will forever live
on through the harmonica as his influence will continue to be heard
everywhere.  If ghosts exist, he'll probably live on forever through
that too.  And I am sure a number of you will be haunted at the next
SPAH or in the shower, or anywhere else he could get a rile out of
you.  All in good fun and with love, of course.