I’m sitting here at my computer, crying on my dog who is very confused about what has happened. What has happened is that Chris Cornell has died. It seems crazy to cry about someone you never met but he affected my life with his music and words from the time I was a struggling teenager until this very day.
I was lucky enough to see him in concert half a lifetime ago and it was worth the anxiety of being around so many people because when he started singing I could feel him reach into my heart and everything else fell away. I cried as he sang, as I almost always do when someone sings the words you thought only you felt. I was luckier still when we became internet friends…that weird sort of friendship that mainly exists in following each other on twitter and in “hearting” things each other had written.
When I heard this morning that he died my first thought was that I couldn’t remember if I ever told him how much he’d meant to me, so I looked through my DM’s. And I found this:
And it made me feel a tiny bit better. I’m sure I’m one of millions of people he touched but I was relieved that I had told him.
I will miss him and the music he will never make again. But I’m glad I said thank you before it was too late. And tomorrow I will turn my hand at making sure that I’ve reached out to others that have helped shape me in ways they never know. Because too late comes too soon.
Thank you, Chris, for everything.
PS. Depression lies. Do not go gently. We need you. The crisis chatline has helped me before so I’m leaving it here if you need it: http://chat.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx Or google “suicide prevention” and your local hotline should pop up.