Ten years later

I still remember August 9, 1995 like it was yesterday. It was in the tail end of my job as a camp karate instructor at Gate Hill Day Camp and as usual, my thoughts that day were limited to the usual: what i was gonna do that day, was it really wrong for me to want to hook up with a girl four years younger than me (apparently, a like minded counsellor answered that with a resounding "NO" and ruined any chance of that happerning). I was on a break when I turned my portable radio to K-Rock to listen to while I relaxed on a picnic table by the equipment shack. the Grateful Dead was playing and when they played a second song, I didn't assume much about it.

Moments later, the news came over the radio that Jerry Garcia had passed. I was shocked; even though he had longtime drug problems that had wreaked havoc on him (nearly killing him at least once before), people like Jerry AREN'T supposed to die. I had just seen my first-and only-Dead show and was looking forward to see him play that fall. Alas, it wasn't to be. Utter disbelief was my mood for the rest of the day. As the news filtered through camp, I saw a fellow counsellor balling. She had followed the Dead out east and was working at the camp to pay for her fall tour expenses. The sense of loss on her face was one of the saddest things I have ever seen.

It's a testament to both the group and its fans that the Dead (now just the Dead) continues to churn out past concerts on cd and puts on tours to this day. Even though Jerry is gone and sorely missed, I'm sure he's happy that the music goes on.

"Standing on the moon with nothing left to do
A lovely view of heaven but I'd rather be with you"