The King of ColumbusI was in bed last night, fitfully trying to fall asleep. I looked at the clock every so often. Three am, four-thirty, five. My stomach was churning slightly all night long, and I kept forgetting, or maybe blocking out, what was bothering me. But every time I would look at that clock and think to myself, "Why on Earth can't I fall asleep?" it would come rushing back: Daymon is gone.
Daymon with the product of his obsessionDaymon is a fellow CAHS graduate, but I didn't know him in high school. Several years older and not exactly traveling in the same social circles, it was a while before we crossed paths. I remember the first time I ever saw Daymon, though. At least, the first time I can recall. I was with Andrew at some hip hop show or another, and I saw this huge black man seated in a wheelchair. If you've ever seen Daymon, he's not easy to forget.
This picture is... indescribable. Actually, it's not. It's Daymon with a black luchadore. There, I described it.The first few times I saw Daymon, over what seemed like three or four months, he was always in that wheelchair, to the point where I just assumed he was crippled. I was actually shocked the first time I saw him standing on his own. He was always someone who amused me from afar, though. Even though Andrew knew some of the people Daymon ran around with, he wasn't tight with them, so I was even further from that.
Rockin' the 'stache phenomenally.It all kind of came together just in the past few months. Daymon and Andrew began hanging out a lot, and that benefited me because a lot of the time where Andrew goes, there go I. So I got to spend time with Daymon. And today I feel so blessed that I was able to get to know him a little bit before he left us. Daymon knew so many people, was friends with so many people, it must have been overwhelming to fit it all in. We weren't really close. I won't front on that. But we were friends, and Daymon always had a kind word and a handshake for me whenever I saw him. I can't ask for much more.
An artist's rendering of a five-star man.It's really staggering when you think of what Columbus is losing in Daymon. A music fan, a DJ, a movie goer, a mascot for the local rock scene. Daymon seemed to be at all the shows, sometimes as if he was bi-locating. He just loved being there for live music. I talked to him about this one time a couple of months ago. I wondered aloud if he went to as many shows as Andrew does. I think the answer is yes, but he didn't touch on it. Instead, he just said something to the effect of, "Shit can happen anywhere, and I like to be there when it does." Forgive me if it's not an exact quote, but that's certainly the gist. And it may be the best way I can sum Daymon up, as well.
Celebrity.If I could live my life half as happily as Daymon seemed to and have half the fun that he packed into his short time here, I'll consider that a life well spent. Death is never easy to cope with, especially the death of those so young. All you can do is promise yourself that you'll live your own life a little better.
