christmasjones

3 years ago a good friend of mine died on Easter. Every easter in my mind I celebrate his life and think about him. Here I revisit my eulogy. RIP Words spoken at Mike Praytor's funeral 4/12/07

My eulogy notes from that rainy cold day:

We should look back at his life and not mourn his loss but gain
inspiration from his work.

I knew him as a musician, business associate, mentor, and most of all,
friend. He tirelessly networked with bands and, by my estimates booked,
at least 500 different acts at dozens of venues in our hometowns. The
style of the music didn't matter. He saw through the BS to see the
magic
that music brings. One of my favorite musicians, Tim Armstrong, once
told me, "Do everything from your heart, don't think about stuff too
much cuz that will mess you up. If you act from your heart you will be
alright." Mike was a person that followed his heart. He fought
financial
hardships, the job juggling act, and the difficulty it is to organize
shows. He was confident. He was determined. He never showed sign of
weakness. He never let a bad night break his spirit.

The sound factory was a consistent powerhouse to which many local acts
got their start. For years, he told each and every band how awesome
they were. He indeed, saw through the BS. I can only imagine him being
on the phone all day saying "ok I got this slot on this day and this
slot and this day, you want one? Or both?"

There's a proverb that goes "you don't realize what a great thing you
had until it's gone"
He was so hard working but always played it off like he was just part
of
the greater good. That goodness was actually Mike Praytor himself. He
gave so much to all of us, I really wished I had given more back.

All the things I showed him, flyers, photoshop, myspace. I remember
him
saying "whoa dude, this is pretty sick!" at everything I showed him.
When we played our hometown shows, he was the most reliable, competent,
and easy to get along with soundguy.

His sometimes naive attitude gave off the impression that everything
was
still new and exciting to him. His sometimes childish aww helped you
feel comfortable and loose around him. Like a beacon of youth. There
was
an innocent charm to him. He did not give a worry to any of his
critics.
Surrounded by music he was living his dream.

He died the day before easter. It made me think. Easter is a
celebration
of the ressurection of christ. Most christians view the ressurection
as
their value of hope. A person's influence can survive long past their
natural life here on earth with us. Ressurection. Jesus came back after
he died. Mike Praytor's spirit will live on with us as well. Every
Easter from now on, I will remember him. It is now his holiday.

He had a heart of gold. He was a workhorse. He was intelligent. He was
strong. He was a professional self-made man. He had so much pride in
the
music he made and booked, yet he never took any credit for anything. To
the every musician he came across, Mike was pure inspiration to keep
going. He saw the potential in everybody. He dreamed of making the
world
a better place. And that dream now lives on with us.

We should look back at his life and not mourn his loss but gain
inspiration from his work.
After our mourning, after this dark cloud moves on, we will always live
with the impact he made on all of us.