I met R. the summer of 2015. He was one of the first guys that I hooked up with that was notably older than me. He was so kind, genuine, and loving to all living things. He was the first person to really share his lifestyle, why he chose the vegan life, and the delicious and beautiful food that he made. He’s a lover of all art. He’s a brilliant musician. I remember spending hours with him one evening and at some point he played his guitar for me. I can’t really explain the feeling adequately but I remember the warm moody lighting from the lamp. He stood there shirtless with his eyes closed strumming his electric guitar, while slowly swaying and feeling the music. I don't know much about making music but as he played the different chords it transformed to an edgy melodic series of sound that felt nostalgic. He was in a different world. It was mesmerizing how effortless and well practiced he was. The music just flowed out of him.
There are two things I loved so much about R. He loved so much and gave his love freely. He was always so encouraging of my art. I remember that summer when I was sharing things I had been working on and the pieces I was disappointed in. I shared how I was about to throw away personal projects that I hated. He said he would take them. He always said that art was an expression and all was valid, even if we didn’t think it was good enough. He also joked about how if I ever became famous he could say he had a Kaolee original and it’d be priceless.
Silly but looking back, I wish I approached these practice pieces as little treasures of my progress. I’m grateful for someone who could see my potential and just want to encourage it. Nothing much really came out of that short summer fling. But I’m grateful for him. I’ve also attached a screenshot of the most recent exchange of messages and it’ll illustrate a bit of how kind he is. This kind of love is a love I think everyone needs in their life.
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