Hope Lodge 2nd Interview Note and Reunion Weekend Announcement (2007)

I know I keep just about everything, but I’m not sure why I kept this little scrap of paper. Maybe something inside me knew that Hope Lodge was a special place and I was meant to find it. With it, I found this announcement for a reunion weekend at Hope Lodge that my future manager gave me at that 2^nd interview. I didn’t attend the reunion weekend, but I was soon hired after my second interview. And, it didn’t take me long to figure out Hope Lodge was the perfect match for me.

Tonight, I was reminded of that during our Hope Lodge holiday party. Former guests, volunteers, Hope Lodge weekend managers, my family, and friends all came and had a great time. My dad played some tunes on the piano and took turns with a group of Westboro High students who played some string instruments. St. Luke’s provided a lot of the tasty treats, and my sister brought a yummy plate of Sweetnins. Just a great night overall, and reminded me I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thank you to all the Hope Lodge guests (past and present) that inspire me, and for everyone that supports us!

Thank You Note from Fenway Health

Again, I got this note right when I needed it. Two days ago after I blogged about rejection, I received this note in the mail and it helped me forget about myevent and Crohn’s Advocate. It was my pleasure speaking for 15-40 at Fenway Health, and I look forward to the next time 15-40 wants me to share my story. Thanks again to everyone who made that night possible, and to all the other inspiring survivors I met!

For Dave! Note

Like I expressed in my EA Hockey video, a lot of times it’s the little things that make me happy.

Today, even though I returned to a still powerless Hope Lodge, this note was waiting for me on top of a brownie that was so good it made me moan in between bites. Thanks again to Katie K for making those amazing brownies for Hope Lodge and the weekend manager who saved one for me! Mmmmmmmmm, brownies.

Notes from 4th Grader and Elm Park Group (2004, 2009)

Eight years ago, I was teaching 4^th grade special ed students. Two of them were diagnosed with autism and the other two had Down Syndrome. One day, “J” was upset with me and told me that she was going to have her father kill me. She felt really bad about it, and this was the apology note she gave me. It was the only time I had to talk to the principal about her behavior, she was usually no problem.

I got this other note while playing wiffle ball at Elm Park with my friend Glen. There was a group there that was spreading positivity with little notes, brownies, and punch. Glen asked me, “What if there’s poison in this?” before we took our first sips. I told him, “Then, we’ll just have to continue the game in heaven – on a scaled-down Fenway wiffle field.”

Note with a Gift from Family

I won’t say who in my family wrote this with the present I got, but it made me smile. Although I’m not sure what exactly everyone is “counting on”, I know each member of my family is 100% behind me with everything I do. And like I’ve said many times before, I couldn’t have made it this far without their support. They helped me through Crohn’s and cancer, and stuck by me through my drinking days. The t-shirt blog and Skating for Hope would not have been successes without my family’s support. I don’t really care what most people think about me, but you need to make sure your biggest fans stay your biggest fans. My family members are my biggest fans, and I happily return that adoration…

Note from Wheelock College Alumni Office (7/26/11)

I’ve written and said it many times, but I couldn’t do many of the things I do without the help and support from other people. My t-shirt blog and Skating for Hope depended on family, friends, friends of family and friends, and many others.

The funny thing about support is you never know where it will come from. I contacted Stand Up To Cancer to see if they would donate a t-shirt for my blog last year, and never even heard back from them. They didn’t donate, but Hot Topic did.

Even though I hadn’t stepped on the Wheelock campus in over 10 years, I received this note from the alumni office just days before skating 24 hours. After Skating for Hope was over, they featured me in the Wheelock Alumni E-news for September. Thanks for all the support, Wheelock!

Note from Kindergarten Teacher

Although I’ve written a lot about how my family and friends have been there for me during my challenging times, my teachers have played another huge role in my life.

They taught me how to read, write, question, do math, and think about a world beyond my own. They encouraged me when I did well, and let me know when I wasn’t performing up to my potential. Most of them reinforced a very important lesson that I was also receiving at home: treat others well and fairly.

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s and cancer, all of my teachers at Saint John’s were very supportive and understanding. Even teachers I had before I was at SJ sent me cards to let me know they were thinking about and praying for me. Today, I got this note from a person who taught me 30 years ago. Even without a donation to Skating for Hope, this note is pretty amazing, and definitely inspirational. But 30 years later, my kindergarten teacher is supporting me with words and a donation.

I wish the news had more stories like this, instead of those filled with violence and people not helping others.

Thank you to all of the teachers who have helped me, supported me, and inspired me. I hope all of the current teachers out there are enjoying the start of their well-deserved summer vacation and thank you to my kindergarten teacher sending me such a kind note and supporting Skating for Hope!

8th Grade Yearbook Signings (June, 1988)

It’s hard to believe it was 23 years ago that I was finishing 8^th grade. I’m happy to say (mostly thanks to technology) that I am still in touch with a lot of these people today. Here are some of the parting words my friends left me in my yearbook...

Note from a Friend (2004)

Like I wrote in my Beanpot blog, this note was from the same friend who suddenly stopped contacting me.

I’m not sure what BC win she was referring to, but the “Hokey Pokey” sign she wanted to make is in reference to Pokey Reese, who the Red Sox had acquired for the 2004 season.

The cool thing: I went to Opening Day for the season they won the World Series (even though it was a 10-5 loss to the Blue Jays). I also went to Opening Day in 2005 against the Yankees when the team got their World Series rings, which was pretty awesome.

Here’s to another great season for the Sox – who I will pay attention to after the Bruins win the Cup!

Note From My Friend Kerry (2008)

Every now and again in my life, someone tells me that they haven’t seen a certain movie? My jaw drops, and I get and give them my DVD of that movie for them to watch.

A few years ago, my friend Kerry was working a weekend at Hope Lodge. She had told me she had never seen Die Hard, so I corrected it immediately. I also made it a point to make sure that Kerry watched some episodes of Trailer Park Boys.

So, in no particular order, here are some movies, TV shows, and standup routines that are on the “Dave’s Must See” list:

1. Die Hard – best action movie I’ve seen, paved the way for many future movies

2. Trailer Park Boys – Canadian TV show that makes me wish Sunnyvale was a real place

3. Mike Birbiglia, What I Should Have Said Was Nothing – Comedian from Shrewsbury, MA who has perfected taking life challenges and turning them into laughs – this guy is one of my heroes

4. Star Wars – Duh! But if you are a Star Wars fan, Robot Chicken Star Wars replaces the “Holy Trilogy” in this list

5. This Is Spinal Tap (and other Christopher Guest mockumentaries) – Spinal Tap helped get me through chemotherapy and the laughs always go to 11

6. Kevin Smith movies – Especially Chasing Amy and Clerks

7. Denis Leary, No Cure for Cancer – My favorite standup routine of all-time, I know every single line and made sure when I started playing guitar that “Asshole” was one of the first songs I learned – Denis is also a hero of mine

8. Outside Providence - Simply put, one of the most underrated comedies ever

9. Indiana Jones movies – Yes, I even liked the most recent one

10. Fletch – I’ve had entire conversations with friends using only quotes from this movie

11. Do You Believe In Miracles? / Miracle – Story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, makes me cry every time

So if you haven’t, watch these and thank me later.

PS - I also forgot to mention how Kerry wrote about my sister’s “veggie dish”. My sister Carolyn makes veggie dishes so well (Vegan Chile and Vegan Cheesecake are my faves) that when I eat them I temporarily think I might be able to make it through life without eating meat. Yes, they are that good!

Note from a Hope Lodge Guest (2007)

This is why I do what I do and why skating for 24 hours straight is going to be a piece of cake…

This note came from one of the first Hope Lodge guests I ever worked with. No idea why she called me “Brat”, could have been the sarcasm? One night when I told her I could play guitar, she asked me if I knew any traditional Irish songs. When I told her I could play The Fields of Athenry, her face lit up and she said I had to go get my guitar right away. We had a little sing-a-long session to that and a few others, and I was telling her how I’ve never been to Ireland and how I don’t drink anymore. She joked that I wasn’t “really Irish” more like a “Plastic Paddy”, and thought I should write a song about it. It’s still in the works, but I’m sure I’ll get it done one of these days…

Her sister and mom stayed with her while she was here, and helped make my first few weeks as night manager easy ones. We joked, laughed, and kept the atmosphere positive. She was also a huge fan of Spaceballs, so we watched that one night she was here too. I could tell early on that I had found a job that suited me well.

I will never forget reading the “You almost made cancer fun…” line for the first time. Although it might sound ridiculous, it’s exactly what I try to do for every guest at Hope Lodge. Whether it’s watching a movie, going to a hockey game, or just joking around; I do my best to make these guests smile as much as possible during their battles with cancer. Each and every Hope Lodge guest gives meaning to my cancer, and this is what drives me to do whatever I can to support Hope Lodge - like Skating for Hope.

Note from a Girl (2005)

It was the Fall of 2005, and I had been on a few dates with this girl. One night, she and I were hanging out with my roommate. She brought her guitar over and we jammed on a few songs together. Then, she and my roommate started drinking like they had been waiting for the week to end. She stayed over for the night, left me this note in the morning, and I never saw her again:

But, the funny part came later…

A day or two after we hung out, I couldn’t find the capo for my guitar. I looked everywhere in my room, but it wasn’t to be found. I was pissed…she had taken my capo! I told my roommate, “Dude, can you believe it? She took my f’n capo!” It’s not like they cost a lot of money, I just couldn’t believe anyone would take something from me. And, I wasn’t about to call her and ask her – I really had no interest in seeing her again. So, I went out and bought another capo.

Then, a month or so later I was in my room, and my capo reappeared. I think I just started laughing and said, “Oh, there’s my capo.” My roommate thought it was pretty funny after hearing my false accusation.

But, I have since lost one of those capos. I’m thinking I must have “loaned” it to someone at the 2008 Focusin reunion…

Tragic Comic Note (2005)

Like my Tragic Comic T-shirt suggested, I identify with this moniker. I don’t expect people to call me “Tragic Comic”, but it does make me smile when it happens. This note was also part of (thanks to my awesome sister Carolyn) the cover to my first book of poetry, Poems from a Tragic Comic.

Life has taught me many things, but of those things one of the most important is to keep laughing no matter what comes your way. Crohn’s, cancer, and drinking are all challenges I faced and still deal with in some way today. What got me through the hardest times was trying to find humor each day – it might have been a funny movie, standup comedy CD, or just making jokes with family and friends; but it all helped me to deal with a less than ideal situation.

So, next time something crappy happens, try to remember the Tragic Comic. Rather than dwelling on how unlucky you are, remind yourself that somewhere someone is worse off than you. Be thankful for what you do have, and find humor in something every day. My name is Dave, and I’m a tragic comic for life…

BC Beanpot - 1994 Boston Globe Headline and 2004 Note from a Friend

When I was at BC, the hockey program was struggling. They had a 9-24-5 record when I was a freshman and sophomore year wasn’t much better. In the 1994 Beanpot, #2 Harvard had defeated #1 BU in the first round while BC squeaked by Northeastern in double OT. I’m pretty sure that made Harvard #1 when BC played them in the final, but the Eagles were definitely huge underdogs. On the back of stellar goaltending by Greg Taylor, BC beat “Hahvahd” and took the 1994 Beanpot. This was the headline from the Boston Globe the next day (which I added to my door with this, this, this, and this):

It was the only highlight for BC hockey during my 4 years at Chestnut Hill, but it was a memorable one. Jerry York took over as coach when I was a junior, and the program hasn’t looked back since (National Champs in 2001, 2008, and 2010).

BC beat BU in OT to capture the 2004 Beanpot, and my friend/neighbor left me this note the next day:

“N” and I became friends when we started talking about our special ed jobs and our love of the Red Sox. We went to the 2004 Red Sox Home Opener, and watched a few Sox games together. Then, our friendship ended.

I don’t know if this has happened to other people out there, but it’s happened to me a few times. No more friendly notes, no more calls, and no more hanging out. The weirdest part about it all was that she lived in the same building as me, and she even stopped saying “hi” in passing. And I understand when you lose touch with someone, but this seemed different.

Anyway, I gave up trying to reconnect and/or get an explanation and that was that. She ended up saying hi to me eventually, to which I replied “Hi?”.

One of the toughest life lessons I’ve learned over the years is everyone has their reasons for doing what they do and sometimes you don’t get to know these reasons. When things like this happen, you can dwell or move on. This note reminds me that sometimes people’s actions don’t make sense, but they’re going to do what they want to do regardless. If you’re lucky to have family and friends that you know will be there no matter what, then you’re lucky enough…

GO BC!