I think I may have started and stopped writing this more times than I can remember. Finally I have it finished and wanted to give a glimpse into the friendship between Jon and I as well as remembering him on his birthday..
When I moved from Gary to Crown Point in 1986, it was a big move for us. Not as big as when the Jackson 5 left and became famous but it was scary none the less. I was nervous about how I would mesh with the people there. I wasn't in school anymore so there wasn't that place where I could meet people and try to make a go that way. I didn't have a solid job and the DJ thing wasn't really getting off the ground so I tried to "get in where I fit in".
Jon Clinton was one of the first people that I met through my Godmother's son Marc. Come to find out everyone it seemed hung at the Roller Crown Skating Rink so I ended up hanging out there and got a DJ job there as well. Jon and I became really close friends. He had 2 sisters as did I. He was trying to figure out what to do after High School and so did I. We were inseparable! He had a killer record collection and was also getting into the DJ thing as well. He had more Prince records than maybe one man should have but it just means I had more to borrow if I needed it.
We worked in Chicago lots, Chicago Music Company, Jam Productions, etc. Did many shows and were like brothers. We made some great money doing really cool stuff. Now, we did get into trouble and paid our price but one thing was for sure, neither one of us ever judged the other. Just two dudes trying to have fun and make a buck in the process. And of course running a few "hustles" along the way that we were still laughing about this past year.
Jon ended up leaving the area to spend time with his Father and we lost touch right around 1989 or so. I would get updates from my Mom when he would visit and for years and years I heard nothing.
Through the magic of Facebook we re-connected in the summer of 2009. We were texting and calling like time had stood still. It was great to have my old friend back. That Summer I had went to his house and reconnected in person with my dear friend. Was like old times, telling old stories and clowning like we always had. He had also told me he was a Cancer survivor, or so we all thought...
In Jan of 2010 he was making trips back down to the Simon Cancer Center here in Indianapolis for testing and such as the evil that he thought was gone, looked like it was returning. He would call and we kept trying to meet up but never were able to make it happen. Sometime in that same month he was going in for a major surgery. I went to see him at the hospital the night before. When I got there he was his ornery self. Bitching at the nurses and cracking jokes with me.
His Doctor came in to talk to him and told him this was the last procedure that they would do and if Cancer returned, they had exercised all options at treat it and that was it. Once the Doc's left we talked in private about the news he was given and how he felt about it. The nurse showed up to take him down for a CAT scan and he said "I'll be right back" I said "ok I will wait here". After an hour he came back and said "I didn't think you would still be here" and I said "hey fucker when someone in a hospital in a Cancer wing says I will be right back, ya have to wait!" We both laughed and I told him to check back in once he went back home.
In March he was getting sick again. We were texting and calling back and forth and he was keeping me posted as best as he wanted to. I was sad because I remembered what I heard his doctor tell him back in Jan so I was trying to be the best support system that I could even being as far away as I can. I cracked as many jokes as I could since that is how I try to deal with bad news like this.
Towards the end of March, Jon's wife Dawn called me and said they were planning a benefit for Jon and he said "I want my DJ there". We were working on getting a date set and the date they picked was the same weekend I was also DJ for Final Four. Jon said "man fuck the Final Four". We both laughed as he knew I could not get out of it. I joked and said "you have to work a schedule around the dude that is playing for free" we both laughed some more.
They picked the date of April 11th 2010. I drove up from Indy, brought all my gear and was ready to rock the house. Everyone showed up and the party was on. His kids made me laugh and watching Dawn run around like a crazy woman was also amusing as well.
The last part of the afternoon he brought a chair up and sat right next to my DJ rig. It was like nothing else was going on. We were talking about what was next in his life on earth then shifting to playing old school RUN-DMC records and it was surreal. I kept from crying in front of him as deep down I feared this was going to be the last time we would have a moment like this. I would have played all night anything he wanted just to preserve that moment in time.
On Monday April 19th, he sent me a text and said "man hospice just showed up, this sucks". I freaked out and called him and said "what does that mean" in his smartass way he said "what the fuck do you think it means". Once I hung up the phone I cried my eyes out all day at work. I was losing my friend, my brother and nothing was going to change what was obviously in God's hands.
Dawn and I were calling and texting back in and forth and Jon's condition was not good. She was relaying messages to him from me. I told him to tell Hospice to get him a wheel chair and I was going to head down on that Sunday and he and I were going to go for a walk. He said he would love that so that was the plan which was soon going to change and not for the better.
That week Dawn and Jon and I were texting and things where not looking good at all. Friday night April 23rd I got a call from Dawn while I was spinning and she said that Jon had left for the Hospice in an ambulance and it was not looking good at all. I told her I would head up there once I got some sleep but something deep down inside told me I needed to leave after work. I woke my wife up and we headed to Crown Point.
I remember talking to Jon in the car like he was sitting next to me. I know he was getting ready to cross over to a much better place so I was pleading that he stick around till I got there. I placed a call and his sister answered the phone and I asked her how far she was from Jon and she told me she was right outside of the room. I said "go in his room and relay this message from me". "Jon I love ya like a brother and I am on my way, don't do nothing till I get there". He responded "ok" and we kept flying up I-65.
I arrived at the Hospice Center and went to his room to talk to him. I had heard that he was in and out of conscienceless so Dawn said "Jon, Alex is here". He turned to me to shake my hand and I said "Jon you know I love ya like a brother and I told you I would be here" he said "I know bro". I tried my best to keep it together as best I could. I told him the next phase was going to be wonderful no more pain and suffering and no more having to work and from here on out it would be easy street.
Before I walked out of the room I said "man how you feeling" and in half ass wit he said "like shit".
Shortly thereafter at my friends bedside, I watched him pass.
Many of those who were there that day said that Jon waited on me to get there. I can say without a doubt that day has impacted my life in so many ways. It really makes you think about real friends and family and completely un-breakable bonds people can have. I replay it in my mind more times than I should but that is how I deal and will move forward.
Going through something like this makes you think about LOTS. The things we often take for granted often can be seen in a new light. You really get to see how precious life is and how you should make the best of it all the time and not leave any stone unturned. Sometimes you question why life deals us the hand that it does but I think overall it is a lesson that we are always learning. None of us will ever have all the answers to why things go the way they do. We can only hope on earth to live as best we can and to move on peacefully when our time is over…
Rest in peace my dear friend Jon Clinton 12/11/68-4/24/10
