Farewell Todd

I recently learned that Todd MacDonald, my Boston area-roommate from July 1999-July 2000, passed away. As Boston wasn't his home and he frequently was out playing gigs, I didn't get to chat with Todd every night (or morning) while living in the Craft House. In spite of that, I did get some measure of the man, whom I'll always appreciate.

Unlike me, Todd was a New Englander. His mother has a distinctly "Yankee" accent, and, Todd, though he lived in Nashville for some years, never developed a southern drawl. In spite of that, Todd was a friendly brother(Note: I frequently struggled with the snobbery I experienced as a Kentuckian in New England). I did not have a car while residing in Waltham, Massachusetts, but Todd unselfishly loaned me his so I could pick up groceries when needed. Also, unlike many in the area, Todd was always willing to set aside time so we could talk while he was home.

There are a number of "fun" memories I have from my time with Todd. For our first few months together, Mariella, a seventy-nine year old widow, lived with us (and another guy named Kevin). She tended to be on the controlling side, and certainly didn't understand single men our age. In spite of this, her manner and her voice provided me with a new person to imitate. Our roommate Kevin was amused by my imitations, but Todd had a special appreciation for them. In fact, when I visited with Todd in the summer of 2007 and before Christmas of 2009, we had some good laughs discussing our former housemate.

We also had fun with my imitations of Ernie and Barbara, our "house parents" while living in the Craft House. Ernie more than a few times had to tell Todd to quit playing his music at night (It could be heard downstairs in Ernie and Barbara's apt.). Also, this couple provided us with some classic quotations such as "Not part of the job description"(which I felt would be a good title for their future memoirs). Though I didn't have a car, this couple expected us both to shovel the driveway after significant snows (which occurred on at least 3-4 occasions that winter). There's nothing that can bond guys quite like snow-shoveling!

As many know, Todd was a musician. What they may not know was that he had a special appreciation for "classical"(70s and 80s) music. I still remember the huge CD cases he would show me, and how he loaned me some of his music while we lived together. His love for John Denver and Supertramp tunes continues to stick out in my mind. (Today I even noticed there's a video on Facebook of Todd singing Denver's "Country Roads" in a car).

Most of you are aware of how much of a formative experience my two years in Thailand turned out to be. To this day, I have a special place for these folks. While in Waltham, three of them (Aom, Wat, and Tim("Dim") visited me (along with my Thailand housemate Ryan). Todd was quite busy during that period, but still shared a good deal of hospitality and humor with these friends. To top that off, Todd even saw these friends again when he visited Thailand on a mission trip shortly thereafter.

After I left the Boston area, Todd and I kind of lost touch. Thankfully, his move to Nashville (sometime before 2005) made it easy to see him again. In Feb. '05, Todd visited the motel where I was staying with my parents (right before leaving for Korea). Todd met my dad, and I enjoyed catching up with him for a bit(even though it had been a very tiring week). In the summer of '07, Todd hosted my wife Gana and I at his place. Also, we had some good times together there at the library and grocery. More recently, in December of '09, Todd met with both of my parents, Gana, and me at the Opryland Hotel. The following night, he visited again and we had our last time together(at least in this life).

I'll miss you Todd. You're the third friend of mine who's passed away this year, but by far the closest to me personally. You were a willing listener on many occasions when I was frustrated by life in the Boston area, and provided me with much more than I can ever return (including your 2009 CD Pilgrims Here). I'm sorry you had to suffer from an ultimately untreatable form of cancer for so long, but know, without a doubt, that you're in the hands of Jesus now.