08/20/2024
This one is for the Lifties past and present.
Dear Buz,
I was alone, laying down to rest from the heat of the day when I saw on my feed that you had passed. It felt like my breath was sucked out of my body along with the tears that sprang uncharacteristically from my eyes.
Suddenly, some of my very best memories over the 16 years we worked those lift ops trenches became stories for me to tell without you there to laugh about them with me. You had transformed, as we all do eventually, from a Noun, into a Verb without age or anymore pain…except for the grief of those of us coming up the trail behind you.
And you had done it of course, as you did everything else, without any drama or crying about it to any of us- we honour you for that, but I think a lot of us wouldn’t have minded helping you to that finish line, being there to show you what you meant to us.
There are so many stories of you from so many of us around the whole world who knew you and loved you. Already, I’ve had two people tell me that you saved thier lives. That’s really what you were up to all those years, any of us knew that, learned that from you - that you can change a person’s life by one sincere smile, kind word and helping hand. You can change a persons life by giving them a second chance. Until I met you, I thought those words meant “two”. But you showed me by how you lived your life and the chances you gave all of us, and the belief you had in us, that “second chances” doesn’t mean “two”, it means always. Always give yourself and others another chance.
I saw you do it so many times over the years to others. I experienced it myself when you fought for me to become Lead hand under you, and then another 14 years as a Lift Supervisor with you. I really have you to thank forever that I got to do the best job I’ve ever had for those years. Because you kept on giving me second chances and hilarious jokes that would certainly get us both thrown in some kind of sensitivity course these days- but I would still happily be laughing at them with you on the hardest days.
Those are just the tip of the iceberg berg for stories of the light and fun you brought to so many of us. You were a father figure for so many travellers in our mountain family who came from all over the world to join us. You were a friend, a dear friend, and a brother to many more of us.
It has been hard, Buz, to think we live in a world without you to walk up to at a lift and hear stories about the latest football games or t.v. Show you were deep diving into. Maybe harder for some of us than we thought it would be. Your kindness, your joy and your big heart really did make a difference and changed alot of peoples lives- and so, changed the world a little bit too. We miss you, we love you, and thank you, brother, for sharing the thing you were so amazing at and born to do- Lift ops, with the rest of us.