And The Dreamer Shall Dream Eternally

Jared,

I don't know who made first contact, you or I.  But I recall that we met the very first day I moved next door to you.  We became friends almost instantly.  Though you were 1 year younger than me, I always considered you my peer and one of my closest friends.

I remember the days when we'd run around in our backyards, absorbed in our imaginary worlds.  From Power Rangers to alien worlds to simply a game of tag, we would sometimes play all afternoon until after the sun set.  I remember you coming by to this one window in the back of my house when I was stuck inside studying.  I'd crack open the window and we'd chat for over an hour; I now marveled that you had bothered to stand for that long.  I remember when your brother, Taylor, and I came back from school one day talking about the alien worlds we had conjured up in class.  You eagerly joined in and became a crucial fabric of that made-up universe.  That day was the birth of your unfinished trilogy, The Ascension.

When I moved to the other side of town after 7th grade, our friendship cooled but never disappeared.  Those were the days of dial-up internet and email was not yet ubiquitous.  Months would go by before we chatted or hung out again.  Whenever we got together, it felt as if no time had passed.  We remained friends for over 20 years, ever since that day I moved in next door to you right before kindergarten.  There's something to be said for that.  Even till recently, months would go by without a word from you but we'd somehow manage to find a way to catch up . . . eventually.

You have always been a dreamer.  You dreamed of faraway worlds and stories.  You dreamed of goals and aspirations.  You had more imagination and creativity than almost anyone else I know.  And you were making your dreams reality.  You were one of the few people who could, with a word, reignite my creativity and passion when I had become too busy with my daily hustle and bustle.  There's something to be said for that.

I had envisioned us growing old together as life-long friends.  I hoped to see you reach the pinnacle of your career, and complete The Ascension.  I hoped to sit with you in retirement, on a beach somewhere, reminiscing of days gone by.  Alas none of this was meant to be.  You are a dreamer, and now you shall dream eternally.

I will miss you.  I will always carry my memories of you with me.  I will carry your passion.  I will not forsake the imagination and creativity of our childhood.  You are, and will always be, one of my closest friends.

Me and Jared at Taylor's wedding.

Jared Adam Radtke

September 19, 1987 to May 1, 2012

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