SEAN
I wanted to write some biographies of important people in my life, but I knew that it would be a daunting task. There are so many people who have influenced my life and have made significant contributions to the current emotional euphoria that I enjoy. From the friends that I have made since moving to the East coast, to the friendships I carried with me from Phoenix; from my Father's large extended family, to my Mother's almost equally large family; the well from which to choose my influences is deep and full. Though, to be sure, no one really chooses their influences. Often, our influences are shaded and difficult to discern from the chaos of our own seemingly impossible personal lives. They then emerge, after the triumph, after the defeat, to pick you up or to urge you ever-forward. Our influences are not always obvious. One must look beyond the smile, beyond the words. They are there, though. Be sure of it. We all have influences, and they are very rarely gracing the covers of magazines or earning ghastly amounts of money doing things most of us enjoy doing for nothing. They are our family and friends. Unconditionally.
I have decided to write about my cousin Sean.
MY COUSIN SEAN
Sean Sanchez is a first cousin, being the son of my aunt Kath on my Father's side. He is 6 or 7 years younger than me (please forgive me, I have a large family and keeping track of birthdays and ages in this family is like memorizing the intricate pathways of the Krebs cycle!). He has an older sister, Valerie (also my cousin, for those of you who might be confused), who is one year older than me. By the way, I am 29 years old. Do the math.
I want to write briefly here. I could choose any member of my family and write a 300 page dissertation if I chose. However, I am not that motivated. Rather, I simply want to give a brief literary picture of very important member of my family. I hope my brevity does not dilute the image at all.
Sean was one of the most adorable little kids one could ever know. He was a round kid. Literally. I am not a big guy, by any means, but I can recall Sean wrestling with me to the point of exhaustion- he was a strong ten year old! Like any kid his age, he was full of energy. Ours was the perfect family to satiate his energy reserves. He had dark hair and dark eyes- features that would serve him well once he got into High School.
He, of course, grew out of his youthful stodginess. He grew lean and tall- I must admit that I was envious of his early adolescent growth spurt. I am still waiting for mine! That body that I ordered through the mail- he got it. His dark features were a hit with the girls, I'm sure. Though, to be fair, Sean's physical features were but a glimpse into the real person. He was very smart, and an excellent student. I could never quite understand that. I did my best to distance myself from anything that might be labeled "academic achievement." To me it was a social stigma. Sean straddled both worlds with an enviable grace. He was socially popular and academically strong. Few people are mentally agile enough to maintain such a life. Even fewer of them are teenagers. One cannot help but be inspired by such qualities.
As an athlete, Sean excelled at soccer. He played for an elite club team in Arizona as well as his high school team. Both teams were successful in their respective leagues. This was due, in part, to Sean's contributions. Even I had occasion to play against him in a friendly scrimmage. Mine was an older team, of course, but we practiced near one another so scrimmages were frequent. It was an odd mix of feelings, despite the friendly nature of the games. On the one hand, I wanted to impress Sean with my own soccer prowess, but, on the other, I wanted to watch my cousin as his skills developed. The games served their purpose nonetheless. I had finally felt that Sean and I were developing a bond of some sort. Albeit, a superficial, tough-guy, jock type of bond, but still a bond.
Sean died five years ago. He was 17 years old. His memory is still very fresh in my mind. My lack of eloquence here should not discount the importance of his memory. I cannot recall all of the humorous, anecdotal stories that should be included here, but that should not detract from the vividness of Sean's presence in my memory. Sean is, and always will be, a profound influence on my life.