[jkimmel]

My step-sister dated Josh for a while when I was growing up.

My few memories of him consist mostly of Josh explaining technology to me at the dinner table in slow, careful words so that a middle school kid could understand. I remember him laughing with me about the crazy/terrible things I had done to overclock my Android Dev Phone 1 at a time when no one else I knew thought that was interesting. I remember feeling really cool when he hooked me up with free Grooveshark premium to be nice.

It's strange. I haven't seen or heard from him in nearly a decade. He stopped dating my step-sister years ago. He likely wouldn't have remembered my name if you asked him.

Still, I feel like a friend is gone.

[comrh]

I love anecdotes like this. It really proves to me that good people live on in the people's lives they touch. It is like a hidden network of people that all hold a piece of the person.

[roflc0ptic]

I went to the same high school; he was two years ahead. I didn't know him well, but he was always pleasant. Our high school generated a lot of talented technical types, and the graduating classes remain a pretty small community. My feeling is that the high school reunions just got a little smaller.

[grrowl]

I didn't know Josh, but sent Grooveshark an email when I was starting to hack together something cool using their APIs. Quick response, many thanks for being interested and a free year of Grooveshark Premium. A clear culture of enthusiasm and love.

[trevmckendrick]

Thank you for sharing this.

[emehrkay]

I hope this doesn't come off as too selfish, but I hope that I can do things/interact with people that leaves a meaningful bond long after the relationship has "ended" Maybe paying it forward is the best thing to do in his memory.

[otherusername2]

I think we don't even realise the impact we can have on people, deliberate or otherwise. Years ago, when I finished highschool, this guy came up to me and said "thanks for acting normal to me, it really helped me through the last four years". I kinda knew he got bullied, but I never really realized how much it bothered him or how my interaction with him affected him. He was just this guy, and on occasion I'd talk to him if I saw him in the hallways.

Since then, I've always had the feeling that you don't really have to try hard to have a meaningful impact on other people's lives. Just be nice in general and you'll have more impact than you can imagine.

[Devthrowaway80]

I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

[tsieling]

I don't think that's selfish. When someone dies, it's very normal and healthy to reflect on how we spend our own time, as we're reminded of how precious it is.

[richardlblair]

Honestly man, other than money that's all we can leave behind. Strive to do your best so that when you leave this world people miss you. That's how you know you did a good job.

[Aaronontheweb]

Definitely not selfish man. People can only maintain something like 150 relationships at any given time. But if you leave behind something each person you're no longer in contact with can use... Well that makes a real difference for those people, even if it's in a small way.