Piya's Perspective

It’s been awhile since I wrote about Mike or read through old posts (either Eblo’s or mine). It hasn’t been nearly as long since I’ve thought about him.  Just over one year ago Mike Massing was killed in a car accident.  Even today I can see him smiling, laughing this off and saying it’s nothing to worry about – course he’d go and worry about it for us.

Throughout this last year I’ve thought of Mike a number of times, but the instance that stands out the most was at High Holiday services when I heard the Yigdal sung.  At UofI, we always ended Hillel Friday night services with Yigdal. As soon as the prayer started, Mike and I would look at each other and do extremely silly (but silent) things to make each other laugh by the end of the song (without interrupting services).  With the end of each phrase ending in “toe”, it inevitably came down to me pointing to my shoe each time the last word of the phrase was sung and Mike would generally crack around mid-way through.  Ari and I didn’t go to many Shabbat services last year, so when the Yigdal was sung to conclude one of the high holiday services, it hit me.

I also remember reading an Eblo post about songs which made me think of a couple other times with Mike.  There was the realization of the meaning to “Freshman“ by Verve Pipe – we both really liked the song until we stopped to really listen and understand the lyrics.  Now it’s just twice as depressing.  Then there’s “One Headlight“ – Mike’s lucky song.  He heard it either going to or coming from his LSAT and then when he learned he had been accepted to law school.  Looking at the lyrics…I think he was nuts.

One of my goals after learning about his death was to keep in touch more often with my friends – specifically those who live long-distance from me.  Unfortunately, I haven’t done anywhere close to what I would like.  As soon as I get home tonite, I’m finding some phone numbers and starting to make some calls. 

I also have another wedding to go to in Chicago this summer…maybe I’ll have the nerve to do this year what I should have done last year.