In Memoriam of GW Smith

Well, it's been awhile since I posted last. So many things have happened. One of which was losing a dear friend of ours "GW" Smith (that's him on this page). I met GW about 5 years ago when we moved to Plain Dealing Farm, which is part of Brookmeade Sod Farm, he rode to our house on his motorcycle to fix our air conditioning unit. I've never seen such a site in my life. This was my very first encounter with GW, but unknown to me, my husband grew up with him. They played football together and partied together. I just could not believe someone was coming to fix and air conditioner on a motorcycle. I thought for sure someone in a work truck of some sort would show up. I met him and really didn't talk to him that much, I figured he was being paid to work and not chat it up. However, he and Troy would sit for hours and talk and I could hear them in the house. GW had a voice that roared. Over the past 5 years we would see him off and on, mostly when the AC was on the brink.

Then, recently, we went to see him at the place he was staying with another friend, named popeye. I went in and met Popeye and everyone else that was sitting around talking. I heard a voice and I knew it was GW's since he was so freakin loud. He came into the living room and hugged me and said, there's my girl. Honestly, I was surprised because we never really talked much but I had been his friend on facebook for about a year. I would send invites to various motorcycle gatherings etc but didn't know he knew it was me. Well, he did and we chatted for a long time. After that night, we talked more and more on facebook. He came by a bit more. It was cool. Then I saw him again at his place and we were talking and I noticed he had a hearing aid. When we left I told Troy, now I know why he's so loud, he had a hearing problem. I just thought he was loud and obnixious. He wasn't at all!

On Sept 30th, Troy told me that we were going to see Tracy Lawrence with GW. I was so excited. He was just a ball of fun. Everyone knew him and he just made you feel so good. GW came by the house before the concert and we made plans to meet up. I will never forget we were listening and GW came over dancing and having a good ol time. Hooting and hollering. What a ball. We enjoyed ourselves so much. He made plans to come over and still hunt with his bow for the next day. Then he said wait I don't have anyone to come with me and I can't ride my Harley with a crossbow, arrows and a tree stand. LOL. He was always so much fun and said the funniest things. Needless to say he never came by to hunt.

We didn't hear from him the rest of the weekend or not that I knew about. Imagine my surprise when I was at work and skimming through facebook when I saw he was involved in a motorcycle accident. The fear and chill that shimmered through my body was horrible. We were just with him, how could this be. Then everyone said he made it out of surgery okay and things were looking up. On Saturday, Troy called him and he talked to him a couple of time. Shoot, they had to post on facebook so many times to have people stop calling the hospital because the switchboard was blowing up.

I will never forget when the news travelled to us that GW was gone. I was laying in bed as we just found out another friend passed away that cold horrible Sunday morning, and I had to get some sleep to survive the overnight shift. Troy came in my room and asked me to check facebook because Cameron (my oldest) called in a panic saying GW died. I was so out of it and amifed, I then logged into facebook and nothing. No one said he died, still praying for him to get out of ICU, since he was to be moved that day. Hell, he posted pics of himself on facebook that morning and was updating his status. So, I layed my head back down on my pillow to try and close my eyes. But for some reason, I just couldn't find peace.

Finally, I woke up for the night and began getting ready for work and looked on facebook and there it was.......GW was gone. I was shocked, sad and still can't believe it. How could someone like him just be gone? He was an amazing person and loving, a gentle giant. I cried, Troy was asleep and I tried waking him to tell him. He wouldn't budge. In the morning, I had to call and deliver that news to someone who lost a life long friend. Everyone was and is in shock. When we found out the funeral arrangements, we made it to the viewing. Man, talk about a man who touched so many people in so many different but special ways. I've never in my entire life been to a viewing that was standing room only. You literally had to wait in line to go into the room where he was laid out.

Troy, wouldn't go in, he refused, he just wanted to remember G the way he was the last day we saw him. He didn't want that vision tarnished. I went in with our good friend Robbie and his two boys and I was so glad to see all the pictures of G growing up. When I came to the coffin and it was closed, I was really glad. The vision and image I had of G wasn't tarnished, I remember him dancing and laughing with us that Friday night at the Tracy Lawrence concert. So, many people were destraught, sad and emotional, it was a true challange  but we needed to be there. I will swear there were over 200 people at this viewing, people I wouldn't have known knew G. Truly amazing.

We didn't make it to the funeral the next day. Troy was not himself and slept all day. He was so depressed and I think he still is. When people our age start passing away, it brings to light that life is simply too short. We buried many young people this year and it's been very tragic. Friday, we were to go to a celebration of his life but Troy couldn't bring himself to do that either. I understand that this will be a yearly event and I hope by next year, Troy would have come to terms and we can celebrate.

Thanks for letting me write about this because I tell you it feels good to talk it through. GW Smith... You are loved more and more every day!