“To see that your life is a story while you’re in the middle of living it may be a help to living it well.” ~ Ursula K. Le Guin
Today, on Fat Tuesday, an important light from my formative years went out. Back in 2016 I introduced you to Larry Adams, my high school art teacher, musical mentor, and long time friend. He had to walk on ahead of us today after a bout with Cancer. You see, Adams wasn’t just an art teacher, and I was far from the only kid he saw through teenage angst. As my cousin, friend, and classmate Larry Scott Evans, II said about Adams earlier today, “His classroom and the small pseudo-family of “different” people in it were my refuge in those days. His respect for us has taken my life in directions I can only now begin to appreciate.” Adams was a peaceful man. I never heard him raise his voice or show anything more than mild irritation. Anything ridiculous was usually met with a shake of the head and a wry smile. That’s all it takes to defuse a situation, really. He knew that. He was the calm of a storm, a safe place where we could pursue being different, as Lar said, whether that was through art or clothing or music or just being who we were. He accepted us as we accepted him and it worked. He touched so many lives and made a lasting impact. I’m pretty sure I speak for all of us from the class of 1983 when I say that we are eternally grateful for him. Godspeed, Adams, and thanks for everything you did for us.
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