Andrew Hyde lives in Boulder, Colorado and travels frequently.

Dan O’Neil + Derek Madsen lift my spirits

The VT shootings have been sitting heavy on my heart all week. I found a link through a bio of one of the victims to a website with about 20 songs he recorded. Dan’s website is http://residenthippy.com/, although it looks down from all the traffic. He did a cover of Postal Service ‘Sleeping In’ which was one of the most touching things I have ever heard. It is here (if the site isn’t down). Funny how music can help with the healing. I read the bios of all the victims, and realized that quite a few of them were my age… had the same ambitions… such a love for life… It was so wonderful reading about Dan, and hearing his voice, his message, his song, his story. So senseless why they are gone.

Another part of my morning was getting a link to the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for photography- Renée C. Byer. She has a breathtaking photo essay on Derek Madsen, a 10 year old fighting Cancer. Such strength, sorrow and emotion. Check it out here. My favorite is here.

Be good to each other.

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One response to “Dan O’Neil + Derek Madsen lift my spirits”

  1. Carsten Avatar
    Carsten

    Thanks for the link Andrew !

    When reading the story it was one of the few times I wasn’t the least bit worried about being a man in it’s 40s shedding more than a few tears. When watching the photos of a life’s flame slowly dimming were heartbreaking. As soon as Cyndie talked about Derek making them promise to be one’s guardian angels – thus trying to prepare his mother for his imminent death (that was in april 2006) – it was all over. Such a brave young boy – en peer with the bravery of his mother.
    It made me realize how comparably small my own “big problems” actually are.

    “Once in every life”
    “There comes a time”
    “We walk out all alone”
    “And into the light. … ”

    Carsten

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