The Heart of Life

A few days ago I lost a very good friend and mentor of mine, Matt Farmer. He was one of the main adult advisors of my high school's FIRST Robotics team. I've gotten to know him very well over the past six years or so as we worked, played, lost, won, cried, and laughed together. His obituary didn't even scratch the surface of the kind and giving person he was, so I feel it's only right to say a few words of my own.

To put it simply, I can say for certain that I would not be who I am or where I am today had it not been for Matt Farmer's guidance, hard work, selflessness, and laughter. He was an incredible leader who would always be there to show you the ropes, but he would never take the reins on his own; he had a certain way of stepping aside and letting us students do the work, all while scratching his chin and grinning. He would commonly put in 60 hours a week or more on the team's various projects--on top of a full-time job and occasional sleep--and he always did his best, even when the programming didn't work or we were low on money. I don't recall ever hearing him complain about the work either; he was there for the students. I watched some of my quietest friends transform into confident and capable leaders--all under the selfless guidance of Matt and many other adult mentors. Finally, his contageous goofiness taught me the value of not taking yourself so seriously, no matter how tough things seem. I know of no other engineer, schoolboard member, businessman, mentor, and Marine who would make a ridiculous face to liven up some tired high-schooler, especially if said Marine was running on 2 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee. Matt did that like it was his job. I'll miss all this and much more with Matt's passing, but I'm very thankful for the memories and experiences that we all have left.

One more note before I end this post. I think we tend to forget nowadays just how much our family and friends love us. Even in this corrupt and chaotic world our family and friends are always there for us. I want you all to know that if you are ever feeling down and hopeless about what's going on in your life, no matter how scared or embarrassed you might be, you can always--ALWAYS--talk to me. That's what family and friends are for. bdroste@nd.edu. (011-39) 331-763-3782.

I'll leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

"The Heart of Life"
- by John Mayer -

I hate to see you cry
Lying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen

Pain throws you heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good
I know it's good...