Amy
Sometimes in my haste to hustle myself to some point of unknown happiness, I forget to do the little things that actually matter.
While it’s terrible to realize, sometimes it’s what I need to set my priorities straight.
My job with the DBT has always been nebulous, at best. Besides webmaster, I maintain the band’s incomplete archive (incomplete thanks to the fact that for some reason, the accountants say that the band archive can’t afford to stash some of the band’s own merch – ?). That’s just a small part of this lifelong commitment I’ve made, for going on 20 years now…
These days I also often deal with the band’s art, merch design, fan to band communications, and charities. I do everything from making laminates to keeping the backstage door key to making food to put on the bus as they pull out of town or banana pudding when they’re in the studio. Booker T has eaten my banana pudding, for god’s sake. How cool is that!?! But mostly, my day to day interaction is with the fans.
I answer all the emails and try to respond to all requests. I try to get something signed out to any requesting charity that the band approves of (pretty much all of them) and once in a while, I get email from a fan who is sick, or someone who knows a fan who’s sick, and I try to get things signed by the band to send to those folks.
Right before the 40 Watt shows, a man wrote me about a good friend of his named Amy who’d been diagnosed with cancer. His email hit me so strongly that I read it out loud to the band at sound check one night before the 40 Watt shows. “She is a beautiful women with a great heart. She is loved by everyone who has met her,” he wrote. The band was more than happy to personalize a CD for her, wishing her well and hoping out loud that she would pull through.
Unfortunately, time flies after a weekend of shows like the one we had, and a couple of days after I’d finally recovered, I heard that Amy had died. I didn’t get the CD out in time.
She sounded like such a wonderful woman. I don’t know if the DBT’s well wishes could have made any difference, but I hope she and her family all know how many good wishes were sent her way, and how sorry I am that I failed to get the CD to her in time. I had no idea she was so close to the end. I hope that she has found peace.
I’m sorry, Amy.
January 29, 2009 at 12:44 am
I’m sorry Jenn, Just taking the time to write this with as busy as you are with of your stuff, we all know that you have agood heart! Booker T.! That is awesome!
Much Love, Kevin
btw-There are laminates? hehe
February 1, 2009 at 6:30 am
I’m sorry, too, Amy. I’m no stranger to loss due to that bastard Cancer, and I feel for anyone who has loved a good person and lost them to a roll of the dice. Thanks for a nice post, Jenn, and thanks for reminding me of all the truly good people out there. There’s more to being good, than being on time. Sal