Today is a sad day. Adam Yauch aka MCA, passed away due to a long battle with cancer. I owe Adam a debt.

You see in high school, I was a goofy kid, a little awkward, and just coming out of my ugly duckling yrs. I was not sure of much, I was your typical teenager,  although I was sure of two things:

a) I liked camping, hiking and  outdoors stuff, sports

and

b) GIRLS.

Unlike being in the great outdoors,  Girls were, hmmmmm lets see, ” hard to get into” ( no pun intended ).    How did a kid,  who can’t figure himself out, even begin to understand GIRLS or talk to them?  I was in grade 11 at the time and enjoying or pretending to enjoy, a school dance. I was as a cool,  single,  unattached guy,  ( looser ). I was open to anything wild and crazy. Well that’s how I played it.  Now,  I was portrayed by others as, “who is that kid’?

I sat in the bleachers with a few other single, crazy,  unattached,  cool, happen guys ( more losers ). We observed the much desired,  and never spoken too girls,  from a far. Speaking lies to each other like, ” I’m far too good for Susan Black, I wouldn’t even give her the time of day”,  ( outrageous lie’s.  We all did things to ourselves, in the name of Susan Black. Things I need not mention here,  if you know what I mean).

The night wore on. I grew tired of my own lie’s and everyone else . I was reaching the end of my patience, and then, Adam Yauch and the Beastie Boys came on the sound system.

For reasons I can’t explain,  I walked straight out into the middle of the dance floor and there,  in front of all my peers, I began gyrating, convulsing, contorting, or as my peeps would say,  I busted a move.   Every closet dance move,  every secret practiced spin, in front of private bed room mirrors, I  danced.  I moon walked, body wormed and back spun. You name it and I blended it into a dance montage from hell!  I didn’t care who saw me. In my mind it was only Me, The Beastie Boys and the song, “Girls” well that and a roar of laughter resonating from across the gym floor.

Halfway thru the song and I heard girls voices, yes that’s right, GIRLS. They chanted go Remco, go Remco and I went. The song of courage,  as I now dubbed it, came to a close and  I wound things down. People began to give me smiles. Smiles I never thought were possible, it was a coming of ages you could say. I busted into the lime light and thru my explosion of goofy, awkward, dance moves, I somehow branched out into a more secure, self esteemed person.

Many thanks to you Adam may you rest in peace!