Brad

We lost a friend this year. Most of us only knew Brad as crankymessiah, and only through this system. We saw him every day. He was a part of our lives. On January 8th, he was ripped from us by a heroin overdose.

This came as a shock. Nothing Brad did sent out any warning signs.

"When I heard about Brad, it was a painful shock. He wasn't just a nickname on a screen, he was someone whose insights and humor I enjoyed, and it was painful to hear that he has moved to a different plane of existence. It's still painful, a member of my community is gone."
- Jessica

"Seeing the picture of Brad filled me with strange emotions. His name is so familiar, but his picture is not. I find myself craving more information about what happened. How long had he been using heroin? Did anyone know? Was there some sign that I should have noticed? Could I have made a difference if I had?"
- Elonka

"Heck I don't even have the words for it, like I said before, I didn't know Brad, but here I sit with tears streaming down my face. I never had the chance to know what a great person he was, but I do know that he was a very special person and a lot of things to a lot of people, some of whom he knew well, and some of whom he never met. I'm sure that this will impact us all in different ways, but hopefully it will help someone whom maybe might have made a wrong choice at the wrong time, fell to his or her demons"
- biochik007

"I knew Brad for 3 yrs now. He was funny and sweet and charming and attractive and sensitive and supportive and alot of other things I cant find the right words to describe. He was loved...I hope he now knows that...and he will be greatly missed. I will cherish every day the time I had him as a part of my life. I'm just having a hard time saying goodbye. So I wont say it yet."
- Jennie

"Now it's easy to say things like "drugs suck" and "why do people do this junk" but the fact is that we all have our demons to deal with. When you're in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people, in a weakened mental state... you're highly likely to make the wrong decision. This one cost Brad his life. I can't imagine a human alive that wouldn't have followed the same error chain at some point. The odds could've gone the other way and Brad would be alive, but facing a very steep mountain to climb in regaining his balance in sobriety. We should all be thankful that our mistakes aren't so costly.
...
So what have I learned in this experience?

1) If you think someone needs help, respond with relentless diligence. Don't worry about being a pest. Being a pest is so much better than being a grieving friend.

2) There are drugs, and then there's heroin.

3) The man who has true friends truly has everything he could ever need.

4) When bad things happen, let them transform a part of you that is better than it was before. That is the greatest honor you can give to someone.

5) Always return people's phone calls, even when you're sick or tired, or not feeling like it."
- flynn23

This collection of web pages documents Brad's activity on the system and the people who's lives he effected, from the first day he logged on MemeStreams to the day he passed on. Additional discussion by members of the community can be found here, here, and here.