Danny B!

Dan was my roommate for about 2 years while I was in college. 4 of us shared a house for those couple of years, and it was a really good time. Dan was a great roommate; laidback, easy going, fun to talk to and hang out with. And yet always up for a fiery discussion on politics or religion.

 

Family was always very important to Dan. I remember once when he went home for Christmas. He was so excited to be going, and when he came back he couldn’t stop talking about how much it meant to him to be home with his family. He talked about how when he arrived, his niece had made a sign that said, “Christmas can start now; Dan is here.” “That was just what I needed”, he said. He kept repeating that as he relayed the whole trip. I figured it was only a matter of time before he decided to move closer to his family, and of course he eventually did.

 

I hung out with Dan once while he was up in Corvallis, when I was in town coaching at a debate tournament. But then this summer Dan moved up to Seattle, where I happened to be living for the summer as well. I’ll forever be grateful to have been blessed with that last summer spending time with him up there. Probably my most memorable Dan story from the summer was the day we went to watch a morning World Cup game between England and Sweden in this wild Irish pub downtown. Now, unlike Dan, who used to work mornings at the Ritz and often had to be up at 5 a.m., I am not a morning person. But the game started at 8, and Dan woke me up and convinced me to drag myself out of bed and go down there and meet him. The game was a blast, and England won (actually I think it was a tie, but Sweden needed a win, so a tie was good enough). We’d been throwing back quite a few beers to collect as many commemorative World Cup glasses as we could (all of which he managed to make me forget at his apartment I might add, including my coveted Czech Republic glass!), so when the game ended at about 11 am we were sufficiently happy.

 

We got on the metro, and went back to his apartment. Before too long, Dan had kicked into his passionate and energetic voice as he went off about his latest kick; Bob Dylan. He had Dylan’s autobiography, put on a Dylan record, and was just going on and on about how great Dylan was. “If you’re going to get into anything,” he raved, “get into Dylan!” Well, my dad loves Bob Dylan, so I told Dan we should call my Dad so he could share his newfound Dylan obsession with him. Of course, at 11:30 am my dad was at work, so we called him there. Dan opened with a, “What’s up Mr. McBirney! I’m here with Jimmy, and I’m trying to get him into Dylan!” And with that, Dan was back off on his Dylan rant.

 

My Dad had met Dan on a number of occasions. He’d met him at the house, and he also ran in to him a couple times when Dan was the concierge at the Ritz and my Dad and Mom were there for dinner. Like everyone, my Dad always liked Dan. But he had only experienced the laid-back, playful and friendly Dan. He had never had an opportunity to hear Dan in his passionate mode. I took the phone after Dan was finished, and my Dad seemed in good spirits and amused. But later that night when I talked to him, my Dad asked me, “Was Dan on drugs today?” Dan got a kick out of that when I told him the next day.

 

I want to share two emails Dan sent me during the past year. A little background: I send out a “law school digest” every so often to a select group of friends and family, that gives updates on my law school adventures and antics. Both of these emails were responses to one of those. The first is a small snapshot of Dan’s wit and humor…

 

(February 3^rd, 2006)

 

We meet again. Sounds like life it going well.  Man....why didn't you call
me about Tahoe?  Just imagine....with me, that snowman could have been at
least 9 feet tall.  Huge.  Life in Oregon is going well.  I took this
quarter off (no money).  So right now Im  looking for a job.  There are so
many students here that I will have to work in a field earning circus
peanuts.  They don't barter that well.  Life is good though.   My sister
Sarah is pregnant with her first.  It will be a girl.  So that is cool. 
Niece numero dos.  Oh yeah.....I scored 81 points in a game.  Pretty cool
huh?  ALthough it didnt get much attention.  What else...?  What else...?  
Oh yeah!  I drew this caricature of the prophet mohammed and sent it to a
Danish newspaper and it got printed!!!!   Cool huh?  I haven't heard back
yet from them yet.  What else what else...?  Oh yeah!  I met this cool
political group in the middle east,  hummus...himmush.....hamas.....? 
Anyways...we totally got a shit load of seats in the parliament.  So that
new for me.  They seem peaceful.  What else what else...?  I was driving
through West Virginia and let out a huge fart....it resonated for awhile
cause I heard some serious rumblings, and saw a lot a weeping later (my
guess is they smelled it).        (For the record, I am going to hell for
that one).    What else what else....?  I was valet parking in Beijing about
two weeks ago and I retrieved this car with the license plate that said
""The Jonger.  The guys was an ass and didn't even tip me.  Looked like that
guy from Team America.  Not Hans Brix though.  What else what else....?     
     How bout our democrats razzing Bush at the State of the Union.  Nice.  
Who do you think the niners will draft?  I'm saying Lendale White.  We'll
see.   Keep in touch man.  Good to hear from you.


Dan Boat

 

(For anyone who doesn’t follow general news, everything from the 81 points to The Jonger was based on some then current event)

 

            The second email is from just a month ago. Again, more classic Dan humor…

 

            (October 3, 2006)

 

            Nice interview.  Thats my boy!  I would expect nothing less from you Jimmy.  Why did that story not surprise me (made me laugh though)?  Thanks for the update and I appreciate you still sending them to me.  My update to my friends would be a lot different, here is an example.....
 
Hello Peeps,
 
Well its been 3 days since you saw me passed out in the bathroom, and I just wanted to update you on my condition.  Dr. Johnson said that is the first time he removed "that" from "there".  Nice.  I am unique and special (told you mom).  I previously invested some money into some Coors Light stock and wouldn't you know it, I alone bring up the company 17 points in one quarter.  So I am pretty much drinking for free right now.  Well, thanks for encouragement and beer bongs you all have donated to me.  Keep in touch,    Dan B.
 
 
You see Jimmy, quite different.  Anyways, thanks again and give me a call sometime.  You know what tonight is right?  Wish me luck with my pocket twos.
 
Dan Boat 

 

That night I received a text message from Dan: “Pocket 2s didn’t hold up”

 

 

The thing I’ll remember most about Dan is the way he cared about people, and how he saw the importance in what many would call the “little things” in life. Friendships, relationships with family; all the things most of us regularly just take for granted. He had a passion for “bigger” issues that affect people as well, such as politics and international relations (Be an INFORMED VOTER!!). But he was not the type of person who would get so caught up in those “bigger” things that affect people on such a large scale that he would forget to love the people around him.

 

I get a daily quote everyday in my email, and the day before I learned of Dan’s passing, the quote was this one by Mother Theresa: “What matters most is not what you do, but how much love you do it with.” The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Dan may not have pursued a big career, and he may never be mentioned in history books… but he did the things he did with love, dedication and sincerity. That is reflected by all the people who hardly knew him, and yet are deeply feeling his loss. My mom, for example, had only met Dan on a few occasions. But when I told her he had passed away, she cried out, “I loved Dan!” and burst into tears.

 

I have a lot of big goals for my life, aimed at bettering the world on a large scale. But one thing I know I’m guilty of is sometimes being so focused on pursuing the steps to get there that I forget to do what I can to better the lives of the people around me now. Dan’s passing is a stark reminder that no matter how young and how healthy we are, we can be taken from this world at anytime. If I died today, all those plans for the future I am working toward would mean absolutely nothing. All that would count is what I’ve done so far. I wonder what that is… but with Dan there is no question. He improved the lives of everyone he touched through his kindness, compassion, and integrity (not to mention his classic sense of humor). His 25 years, though far too short, were used by him well. His legacy will be that through the example of how he lived his life, he urged the hundreds of people who knew him to view people in the best light, to truly love and care for others without precondition, and to always make the extra effort to ensure people know they are loved, cared for and valued. We can never trace how far that ripple effect will extend in the world… but just because it can’t be traced or written about in history books doesn’t mean Dan’s life won’t profoundly change the world.

 

Rest in peace my friend. You will be forever missed.

 

 

 

- “Jimbo Slims”