Current mood:

sorrowful

RIP Taylor Christian


It's hitting me that Taylor Christian has passed away last night from a heart attack. He was so young, so charismatic and full of life.

He was one of those people who you meet once and then never forget.

This man is probably one of the best taletellers of I've ever met. It wasn't uncommon for Taylor to tell a story back in Sacramento and a crowd of 60 to 80 people would sit there and listen. Game would stop for him to tell a story. He could captivate that many people.

Granted, tight leather pants never hurt in getting people's attention.

This was a guy who I knew to be one of the kewlest people I knew. Easily, he is the kewlest man in any room he walked into. The confidence, good looks, incredible charm and I can go on and on. I remember years ago when he told me that he thought that I was kewl at a time when I lacked self-confidence... it's hard to explain the impact that had on me.

YEARS ago. That's how long I knew him. When he moved from the Sacramento Valley to SoCal, the first time he saw me, he lifted me into the air and swung me around in the middle of a hug.

What makes him ultimately wonderful is that he will make fun of himself more than he makes fun of others. If you listen to his stories that he tells about himself, it's him and his unsuccessful adventures with women, getting into trouble with authorities or people misunderstanding him or looking at him oddly. This never made him a lesser man to anybody. In fact, it just brought this man down to earth so we can laugh with him.

I feel bad that Taylor asked me to do something and it hasn't been fulfilled. But I figured, it would happen at "some point." After all, it was game-related; I didn't think it was extremely important. Still, it was a game that HE was starting. You just never know when things like this happen...

For his own game, he was known for bringing half of the people himself. He wanted to share game with a LOT of people. Not everybody stayed, but those who did became not just new players but also became new friends. Taylor was so open and so generous of spirit, that he was more than the body he inhabited. You mention his name here among the games in California and people knew who you were talking about without having to say "hot black guy with braids."

Taylor, you are missed by all.