Happy Birthday Jesse! ...a brief history of a friend.

So on this great day some years ago, one of my best friends had a birthday, his first to be exact.

I met Jesse in high school, I can't remember if he was a sophomore or a junior, but that's not important. I had known his older brother, James, but only heard stories about Jesse-stories of James kidnapping him from various places, tying him up and leaving him places, etc-you know, loving, brotherly stuff. The first time I remember actually meeting the kid I had only heard stories about was when he was starting to hang out with a girl I had dated and me being the jealous type (I know, you'd never believe that, right?), I automatically didn't like him for it. Not too long after a bunch of us went to the Smith's cabin and I came home from that trip with a good friend. Maybe part of it is because I found out that he too was a huge Billy Joel fan...


Through the remainder of high school Jesse became an integral part of our group of friends and was known as Bad Dawg (a whole different story involved there). There were some good times had, too many to mention, though it should be known that the camping trips, spring breaks, old school skating, pranks and everyday hang outs were more epic than most people dream of. High school ended and most went on missions. Out of all my friends who served missions, Jesse kept in closest contact while we were both out-well, him and Brady were probably about the same. His letters and tapes always made me laugh and I knew he was keeping it real.

Straight off his mission, Jesse, James, Ryan and Lindsey and I hit the streets to sell Living Scriptures DVDS. That was a pretty rough summer, though it was tough to the point it was ridiculous and funny. Between the heat, the sales coming in spurts, Jesse getting his car broken into, later it having it stolen and when everything seemed to be going well, his car would break down and I would get a call to come find him. I could post for days and days about that summer...

After what seemed like a decade, the summer ended and we all went back to school. That year Jesse and I lived in the same house together. Though I only actually lived with Jesse for one school year, it was easily the most fun year of my life. That year I think we all grew up a lot, but that doesn't mean we went to bed before 3 or 4 a.m. very often. Through the college years (does that sound like Saved By the Bell?) I watched Jesse turn into a serious artist and musician, which he has molded into a career now as a graphic designer for a concert promoter here in SLC.

College came, college went. The years have come and gone. But after 10-11 years, Jesse is still a huge part of my life. He is an example of a true friend and a good, sincere person. People say friends come and go, but I know that in another 10 years I'll still be calling Jesse on a Friday night to see what's going on.

**as a side note, Jesse reminded me last week that before I really knew him (I think right before the cabin trip) I signed his yearbook one year. In it I wrote something to the effect of: "Stay cool and don't take no shit from anybody." Why he even spoke to me after writing something so stupid is anyone's guess**