I’ve come to realize that I’ve yet to write one word about Andrew Cragg in my blog yet since everything that has happened. For those of you who read this site and don’t know Andrew, he was a very good friend of mine who I met during my run at the Duke Theater. Oddly enough, I’m actually wearing my work shirt underneath my awesome Rey Mysterio hoodie (thanks Nik) right now… mainly because its one of the few long sleeve shirts I have to help me endure this brutal NY winter. Andrew and I shared in ribbing not only each other but the poor, helpless, staff at the New 42. No one, house manager to usher, was safe from our wrath. The best part of it all was that we saved the best insults for each other. He was one of those people that you feel you’ve known all your life the moment you meet them.
The week before Thanksgiving was incredibly hard. On Sunday of that week, I got a call from one of his close friends telling me that he had died. Even as I’m typing this a surreal feeling still comes over me. Its been well over two months now, but I still find myself expecting him to call. Now more than ever so that we can drink beer and bullshit about how very few people actually understand anything about politics and hockey. I’ve always considered myself slightly knowledgable but when he spoke it was like opening the Big Book of American politics. His love for the Buffalo Sabres also led to some interesting spats during this time of year. I’d throw around my hopeless dreams of the Rangers winning a Stanley Cup. Andrew would ramble about how Buffalo could never hold on to talented player long enough to win a Cup. We’d throw around stories about where we grew up and the stupid situations we’d get ourselves into. The amazing thing about it was that a boy who grew up in the South Bronx (me) connected so well with a Rochester polar bear like him.
Now, most days when I see someone acting like an idiot, I think of how he’d look at them with a straight face and ask them to continue with their idiocy. Or I think about how much he’s day he hates Eli Manning while watching his Oreo commercial. Instead he’s gone. And all that’s left is his memory that will be preserved through those who were lucky enough to interact with him. Why it took me so long to put words together for appreciation is a testament to how deeply affected I was by his passing. If you can learn this lesson early I suggest everyone learn it soon: We are all finite. Immortality comes from the memories we leave in the lives of those we meet. And for that reason Andrew will always live forever.
This blog is dedicated to more than just Andrew. Unfortunately I’ve lost a lot of people in my life and through them I have learned to appreciate everything that I have. So this is also dedicated to Hildalina, Brenda, Chris, Joe, Diana, and Nancy.
- Cathy