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ashinaeWhen I was in elementary school, and the first few years of high school, I had a friend named Grant. He was the bestest; we were very close. When Dookie exploded on the musical scene, Grant was all over that album like white on rice.
I enjoyed listening to Green Day with him for the next several years (thought Billie Joe was utterly adorkable, too). Then, over Christmas holidays in 9th grade, Grant got sick. Ended up in the hospital. Two days later, called to tell me that he had cancer and I lost it. He called to tell me because he thought I was our group's "strong one", and that I'd be the best one to tell everybody so he didn't have to make a lot of phone calls he didn't have the strength for.
He remained the most faithful Green Day fan I'd ever met, for the next two years, while he went through chemo, got better, got worse, went through chemo, and over and over. Then, December 27, 1998, my mum came home from work to tell me that Grant had passed away. His funeral was on New Year's Eve... I remember I had to go to work right after the funeral, since he wasn't a family member and also because none of my co-workers wanted to miss their NYE parties just cuz the 16 year old girl had lost one of her very, very best friends. I remember they played Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" at the funeral, and I remember hearing his sister bursting into hysterical tears during that song, when they carried his casket out to be lowered into the ground.
When we got back to school, it was announced over the morning announcements that Grant had died over the holidays. They paused, then, to play Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".
I was never able to listen to either of those two songs without bursting into tears. Sarah McLachlan, as anybody who reads my journal or talks to me at all should know, has always been one of my very favourite musicians. For some reason, while I always enjoyed Green Day's music, I never really got "into" them, as such, because they were his band. His, and I felt like I was intruding or something.
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deerdancer and I went to see McLachlan live back in May, it never crossed my mind that she might play that song; I've always done my best just to ignore its existence, or change the channel if it came on over the radio (it came on, once, while I was in the shower. Yes, I listen to the radio in the shower. I thought I could handle it; I ended up sobbing in the shower that morning). Of course, she did play that song, and I sat there, in my seat, with deerdancer's arm around my shoulders and she held me while I sat there crying as quietly as I could.
For the past seven years, listening to Green Day always made me a little weepy. But as the years passed, more and more I found I could listen to "Good Riddance" and survive the experience, unless I was for whatever reason a little emotionally fragile, and then I'd end up crying anyway.
And then the Green Day boys showed up in the Establishment. I don't know what happened, exactly. I ended up purchasing American Idiot. Enjoy it thoroughly; enjoy Billie Joe and Mike and Tre as portrayed by their brilliant muns.
And I can sit and listen to "Good Riddance" again, though I can't sit here and type all this out without getting really weepy. *g*
I enjoyed listening to Green Day with him for the next several years (thought Billie Joe was utterly adorkable, too). Then, over Christmas holidays in 9th grade, Grant got sick. Ended up in the hospital. Two days later, called to tell me that he had cancer and I lost it. He called to tell me because he thought I was our group's "strong one", and that I'd be the best one to tell everybody so he didn't have to make a lot of phone calls he didn't have the strength for.
He remained the most faithful Green Day fan I'd ever met, for the next two years, while he went through chemo, got better, got worse, went through chemo, and over and over. Then, December 27, 1998, my mum came home from work to tell me that Grant had passed away. His funeral was on New Year's Eve... I remember I had to go to work right after the funeral, since he wasn't a family member and also because none of my co-workers wanted to miss their NYE parties just cuz the 16 year old girl had lost one of her very, very best friends. I remember they played Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" at the funeral, and I remember hearing his sister bursting into hysterical tears during that song, when they carried his casket out to be lowered into the ground.
When we got back to school, it was announced over the morning announcements that Grant had died over the holidays. They paused, then, to play Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".
I was never able to listen to either of those two songs without bursting into tears. Sarah McLachlan, as anybody who reads my journal or talks to me at all should know, has always been one of my very favourite musicians. For some reason, while I always enjoyed Green Day's music, I never really got "into" them, as such, because they were his band. His, and I felt like I was intruding or something.
When
deerdancer and I went to see McLachlan live back in May, it never crossed my mind that she might play that song; I've always done my best just to ignore its existence, or change the channel if it came on over the radio (it came on, once, while I was in the shower. Yes, I listen to the radio in the shower. I thought I could handle it; I ended up sobbing in the shower that morning). Of course, she did play that song, and I sat there, in my seat, with deerdancer's arm around my shoulders and she held me while I sat there crying as quietly as I could.For the past seven years, listening to Green Day always made me a little weepy. But as the years passed, more and more I found I could listen to "Good Riddance" and survive the experience, unless I was for whatever reason a little emotionally fragile, and then I'd end up crying anyway.
And then the Green Day boys showed up in the Establishment. I don't know what happened, exactly. I ended up purchasing American Idiot. Enjoy it thoroughly; enjoy Billie Joe and Mike and Tre as portrayed by their brilliant muns.
And I can sit and listen to "Good Riddance" again, though I can't sit here and type all this out without getting really weepy. *g*
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Date: 2006-01-16 10:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:31 am (UTC)Your icon is beautiful.
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Date: 2006-01-18 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 01:57 am (UTC)You came through it - that you can remember with love is good. I like American Idiot very much - particularly 'When September Ends' - enjoy their music and think of your good times as well as the bad. :)
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Date: 2006-01-18 01:32 am (UTC)I did make it through it. It was a very difficult time all around. It's amazing the connections we make with music, and how much Green Day has made me think of him.
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Date: 2006-01-17 03:09 am (UTC)This is lovely, and touching, especially your story about Grant. Thank you for your kind words about our writing. *hugs you tightly*
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Date: 2006-01-18 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 06:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:32 am (UTC)