THE AMERICAN JOURNEY PROJECT
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

The Journey Blog

In Memoriam: Steve Harris

10/10/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
 One of the first blog posts of this Journey was called A Prayer For Steven.  

In the post, I asked for readers to say a prayer for my dear friend Steve Harris, who was battling a rare blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS. Last Thursday, after a valiant fight, during which he displayed unimaginable courage, Steve succumbed to MDS.

​Today, Saturday, October 10, Steve will be laid to rest in his hometown of Cleveland. Sharon McCormick and I will be making the drive to Cleveland, to pay our last respects to a man we respected, admired and loved.


The last time I was in Cleveland was the week before I began this journey, when Sharon and I visited Steve in the Beechwood Rehabilitation Facility. It was a wonderful visit, one filled with laughter and tears.  After an afternoon of radio war stories and reflections on the meaning of life, Sharon and I prepared to leave for the long ride back to Cincinnati. Steve asked if we could take a moment to pray with him.  With that, we held hands and Steve took the lead, moving us with his natural eloquence.  I wish I could remember the exact words of Steve's improvised prayer. But what I do recall is that it was a prayer of farewell and friendship.  He knew something Sharon and I tried to block out of our minds. 

​Steve was so excited about my Journey.  We spoke several times per week, me giving him updates and sharing stories from the road.  Our last conversation was on a day I was feeling a little depressed, dragged down by several days of non-sleep.  It was one of those rare moments when I thought that maybe it was time to pack up and head home. Steve refused to hear it.  He reminded me that the "voice" I heard, the voice that compelled me to get on the bus, was the voice of God.  He told me that I didn't have a choice, that I had an obligation to God, to the universe, to continue the Journey, to "tell their stories."

I returned home yesterday, ended the Journey, at least for now.  It felt the appropriate thing to do, knowing that today I will be back in Cleveland, in Steve's home, celebrating his life, bringing closure to his remarkable journey.

Rest in peace, my friend.   

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Author

    Hi, I'm Doug.  I'm a writer who, over the coming months, will be traveling more than 10,000 miles on a Greyhound Bus. My goal: discover something about America and, in the process, a little bit about myself.

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact