“You do not find the happy life. You make it.” ~ Thomas S. Monson
Last Friday, January 6, the world lost a light. Those who’ve followed the outhouse know my love and admiration for Craig Barnes. He has been my outhouse champion since day one. Words fail to express just how much that support not only bolstered this project but buoyed me as a person struggling to find their way back to the arts. More than once, without his knowing, he said things that resonated with me, and propelled me forward, even when I wanted to quit. He never shied away from my camera, and because of that, the photo below, first posted in 2015, became today’s centerpiece at his memorial. That photo is because of him, not me. I just took what he gave me. I heard more than one person look at it and say, “That’s Craig. That sums him up.” It’s true. His leaving was unexpected, but here we are, in that weird land of heartbroken and grateful. How lucky I am to have been fed by Craig Barnes. Not everyone can say that, and more’s the pity for them because nobody could serve love and pasta like Craig Barnes. What an exquisite man and extraordinary light. Craig Stephen Barnes: 1953 – 2023.
THE Dude!
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