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I got a call early this morning from Amanda. “Have you been on Facebook today?” I hadn’t. I opened the app… and the first thing I saw was Debbie’s post. My heart sank. Debbie is my friend Gidon’s wife (I’m not friend’s with Debbie on Facebook, but she tagged him in the post, hence why I saw it) Gidon passed away yesterday. I moved to Vegas in 2006.
Just a small-town Midwesterner chasing a fresh start. Three weeks in, I met Gidon (we worked together). He became my first real friend out here. He took me under his wing. Made the transition easier than I ever expected. Every Friday, we grabbed drinks after work. That was our thing. A couple of months later, we started writing a screenplay together, On Maggie. We had dreams of making it big in Hollywood. Weekends were spent writing. Editing. Dreaming. We even registered it with the WGA. I still have the certificate.
Still have the hard copy of the script (actually, I have 5 of them) That’s how much it meant to me. He moved back to Israel in 2010 (born in Israel, but grew up in LA). We last chatted in December. And I wish I’d reached out more. The truth? He reached out to me far more than I ever reached out to him. He was a better friend than I was. And that… that hits hardest today. I cried this afternoon, leaving his brother a voice note. His brother is a close friend of mine he lives here in vegas). I remember visiting LA with my sister. We went to Apple Pan with Gidon. He talked the entire meal…slowly, savoring every bite and every story. My sister and I finished eating long before he did. But he was still deep in story mode. That was him. Fully present. Fully engaged. Never in a rush to move on. That meal sums him up perfectly. He was one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met. I probably wouldn’t have made it in Vegas without him. And I know I wouldn’t be the man I am today had I never met him. He mattered. He made a difference. And he’ll be missed more than he could ever know. I wish this email wasn’t needed. But it feels right to share this today. I’m not sure it’s a good or bad thing I’m all alone in the house today. We all think we have more time. More Friday drinks. More chances to call. More time to say “thank you.” The time to show up is now. The time to build is now. The time to create your own life, one that makes you proud, is NOW. Don’t wait for “someday” to build a life you love. “Someday” isn’t guaranteed. YOU GOT THIS 🙌 In your corner, When you’re ready, here are a couple of ways I can help you…
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