From B.J. Hill

The Jeff I Loved

I met Jeff Davis in junior high school. He became an inseparable companion in those years. There was no one in Indiana Junior High that didn’t expect Jeff to become the next Faulkner, Eliot, or Hemingway. Many people have gifts, but some people have extraordinary talent and potential and Jeff was clearly in that class. This is a kid who was writing novels in 8^th grade and reading books that were not understood by area college students. Yep, he was smart. But it wasn’t his brains that made him my friend; it was his killer sense of humor. He was so quick witted that to be around him was to take a ride into hysteria. Nothing was off limits to Jeff…everyone could be made fun of!!

Jeff remains on my list of the 20 most influential people of my life. Time spent with Jeff was not typical. We did crazy things. Like going to Flagstaff outdoor Theatre and tipping over the park benches while sitting in them – just to see how others would react. We looked for books at the IUP library to explain who we were. I talked on the phone for hours with his alter ego – a worn out stuffed animal named Lassie – who swore and made sexual innuendos. Of course there were other women in Jeff’s life….there was Melanie and her roller skate key, Janis and her Bobbie Magee, and Bette who knew you had to have friends.

Like many gifted and artistic characters, Jeff did not suffer fools easily. Sometimes his humor turned dark, and he didn’t trust that others cared for him. I don’t know why life is harder for some people, and why the promise of potential is not always realized…..is it the nearness of brilliance and anxiety? Over the years I was able to recognize less and less of the Jeff I used to know, though Jeff’s sensitivity and heart remained. It pains me that Jeff suffered and I am comforted that he is free.

I am thankful for the years of innocence that are junior high school, and the chance meeting that made Jeff my friend. Jeff was kind to me. He made me mix tapes, walked to the mall with me, and made fun of people who were mean. He loved me and I loved him.