Letter to a best friend
Let me tell you about my friend Christine Marie Kuhn,
We met over the Summer of 1982. Over music both figuratively and literally. Both of us played in the junior high band (middle school now-a-days). The rigorous practice of the obsessive compulsive and perfectionist Ms. Sandy Olesky! Hated that bitch at the time but that bitch was amazing! Hilliard City Schools f**ked up by letting her go…and she got screwed. It was a witch hunt all because Ms. Olesky was a lesbian. C’mon people…step into the 21st Century, will ya? Your music program went to shit after you let her go!
I digress…end of commercial. Anyway, yes I played the dorky clarinet until I could get my hands on my beloved percussion instruments. (percussion was and still is a competitive area in band) Our bond was initially over the wood instrument that we had to learn. (Although, more modern forms of the instrument is plastic…go figure) Then Chris and I chatted over our mutual musical loves…Quiet Riot, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Def Leppard…WAIT! WHAT? Def Leppard? Are you barking mad????!!! Def Lep is MUH SHIT! We were so maniacal over the fab five that I think we were the only two who could stand each other! (God knows our parents and other friends were sick of our obsessions of them)
Complete lunacy, I tell you! (Many of you can attest to this) Any time Lep came on Mtv…you know, MUSIC TELEVISION…its still around…but way back in the day…ya know, they actually played MUSIC VIDEOS! WOW…WHAT A FREAKIN’ CONCEPT…’EH? I know, I know…its like a relic! Anyway, any time Lep would come on, one of us would call the other and scream like a freakin’ banshee! Many times we would call simultaneously. She had call-waiting, I didn’t. (My dad refused to get it, said it was rude) So usually, my call would go through first! At the time it was “…dude, Photograph (or Rock of Ages or Foolin’) was on. Which was met with ear piercing screams. WTF was wrong with us? (I still think our parents should have had us tested for hormone overload)
First DL show together…Europe/Def Lep 1987. We had seen Lep separately but this was the first time together. Awwwww snap, it was at Buckeye Lake Music…aka Legend Valley…not to far from where I live now…for now. It was a dump fest! Muddy and hot as hell! People were passing out left and right from the heat! Mud up to my knees…and probably Chris’ ankles. (Chris was 6’ for those who don’t know) We were digging, clawing, shoving and making our way to the front of the stage! We made it! So close that Chris could see up Joe Elliott’s shorts! (Hey, I’m only 5’4 but it helps when your best friend is 6’…people tend to get outta your way) My guy was always Rick Allen. (Still love and admire the guy) Hell, I even beat the shit outta Mike Boggs…lil fucker…in 10th grade for making fun of him when he was in the accident and lost his arm. YES, HILLIARD PEOPLE…BET THE PRICK WON’T ADMIT IT BUT I F**KED HIS ASS UP! Mrs. Calhoun’s 10th grade English Class…ask those who witnessed it! ;) Punk got his ass beat by a GIRL! ^_^ Which brings me to another topic…lets face it, Chris was intimidating with her size. Funny thing was, I was the one more apt to fight. Maybe its my Italian blood. Maybe I had a Napoleon complex? I dunno. I’m really no longer like that…UNLESS you jack with my friends, family or are cruel to animals!!! I’m a very Zen…Hindu…tree-hugging…peace loving…neo-hippie type! ;) Otherwise, I’ll want to beat you to a bloody pulp.
I’ll skip ahead…I got pregnant with my daughter in November 1988. I was 19. Obviously it was not planned. My boyfriend at the time, her father, was not exactly the most supportive person. I’m not here to trash him. That is my daughter’s father. He has his positive qualities and was/is a sickeningly talented guitarist…if only he could have channeled it in a positive way. Let’s just say that things were not good when I found out that I was pregnant. Things were suggested that I should do. I did not want to. I adored the life that was growing within me. Chris was my rock at the time. I think she was more excited about the baby than I was. (Not that I wasn’t excited, I was just scared) For a time I was alone and scared. Chris was my total support…up to the point of offering to have me move in with her and WE would raise my daughter together if need be. (We weren’t lesbians…not that there’s anything wrong with that…although we acted questionable just to get people to talk…that was our thing…to shock people. Oh the boys we teased.) We were each other’s “wing girl”…icky guy hitting on ya? Come over and plant a kiss on the other…we’re Lesbos! Sorry! In reality we were straight…although we loved each other just like sisters!
Chrissy saved me so many times during my pregnancy. I have no doubt that if it were not for Chris, my daughter might not be here. I had a couple of miscarriage threats due to stress. Again, she was my rock! The day I brought my beautiful daughter home, Chris MADE me go up, get her out of her crib so that she could hold her God-Baby! She held my daughter for a good six hours! Oh and not to mention that she bought everything under the sun that the child would even need at the time! I shit you not, Chris bought a car seat, a playpen, a highchair, a walker, oodles and oodles of toys and clothes! THEN three months later, Christmas came! You can imagine the massive amounts of stuff that Christ bought her God baby for Christmas!
Then came January. L My 5-month old baby girl and I were out in Hilliard shopping. We went to Scott’s (TG&Y…remember that place?) looking for Valentines day decorations and a Valentine’s card from my daughter to her God-Mommy. I picked everything out, got back home and my boyfriend’s mother called me. (By then my boyfriend…and daughter’s father had gotten a townhouse in Hilliard and were working on trying to make it work for our daughter). His mother called me. “Ummm hi Dee, the State Highway Patrol is trying to get a hold of you. They reached us. There’s been an accident with your friend Chris.”
I thought this quite odd but back in the day, there were no cell phones. They would rummage through your purse/personal belongings if you were in an accident. Obviously they will start at the beginning of the alphabet. My ex-boyfriend’s name started with a B. (Which, incidentally, Chris and her boyfriend Todd introduced us. Sadly, Todd has passed as well…if you remember/knew him. Some people were shocked that I brought him to the funeral. I did so because the last couple moths of Chris‘ life, she and Todd were talking on a very friendly basis. It was my hope that they were working on getting back together. Regardless, they were at least good friends towards the end.) I immediately called the SHP, they gave me a number to call at Doctor’s West Hosp. I call it. They said “Yes, your friend has been in an accident. We cannot release any information, you’ll have to call her parents. They just left.” I was barely 20 years old. I thought “Oh, Ralph and Marsha just left. She must be fine. I’ll call them.” So I dial the number that I STILL know by heart. Ralph answered and I said “Is Chris okay? What’s going on?” He immediately gave the phone to Marsha. That’s when I heard the most horrible words that I think I’ve ever heard…”No Dee, Chrissy is not okay. She’s had an accident. She’s gone. She died.” I LITERALLY slid down the wall that I was leaning up against. Balled myself up into a fetal position and cried hysterically for I don’t know how long. The next thing I remember is my mom showing up at my front door…to take care of “the baby”…and myself. Marsha asked me to call several of our mutual friends, which I did. I don’t remember who I called or what I said. I just remember that I called several.
It sounds morbid but I drove out to the accident site later that night. (For those who do not know…if you know the Darby Estates area…Chris went out Hubbard Rd. to where it dead ends into Broad Street. She and a mutual friend from California were heading to the West side…ya know, when it was still viable? LOL The SHP said that she ran the stop sign…she didn’t. She drove that intersection daily. Her parents and I think that she did a “rolling stop” and tried to turn left. It was a pain-in-the-ass intersection. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Chrissy and I may have had our “party” moments…but we did NOT drink (or anything else) and drive.
Unfortunately a lady living in West Jeff heading into WJ (West) hit her. Wasn’t the lady’s fault. (I have since been told that she had felt horribly guilty about the accident. I talked to her and assured her that none of us blamed her) Just a mistake and a misjudgment on Chris’s part. Pure accident. Death by Hemothorax. I later learned in nursing school…Chris basically took too much trauma in the chest area. I was told that she did not suffer. Fittingly enough, it was around 2am and I parked my car on the West side of Hubbard Rd. I got out and gazed at the intersection. Some debris was left. I found a mangled Def Leppard pin that I know Chris had on her jean-jacket. It was bent and somewhat tarnished…I waited for the traffic to pass, went out and picked it up. I still have it.
Our mutual friend was paralyzed but last I talked to her, she is thriving in the beautiful music scene of Los Angeles. Part of me died that day. The innocent, naïve, goofy part of me. I grew up…and I grew up quick. My best friend was gone. My confidant was gone. The friend that held me together when I wanted to lose it was gone. My innocence was gone. But that’s okay, I needed to grow up. I just wish it hadn’t happened that way. I had my baby girl to live for now.
As I stood at Tidd’s Funeral Home, I walked by her casket. The yellow roses, the little teddy bear and the roses that said “God-Mother.” I held my 5-month old baby girl. And I told her, “This is YOUR God-Mommy…she is YOUR guardian angel and she will always watch after you. Your Aunt Chrissy will always watch over you!”
And she has. <3
I love you bitch! And I miss you!
And my beautiful daughter…Chris’ God-baby…that lil 5-month old baby girl…
Riquendra Krystyne…
Doesn’t she just have that “bad-ass blond Chris look about her?” Yup, I think Chris would be proud. I love you Kiwi!
Please share your stories, memories of Chris...for my daughter...so that she knows what an awesome person her God-Mommy was! :)
Let me tell you about my friend Christine Marie Kuhn,
We met over the Summer of 1982. Over music both figuratively and literally. Both of us played in the junior high band (middle school now-a-days). The rigorous practice of the obsessive compulsive and perfectionist Ms. Sandy Olesky! Hated that bitch at the time but that bitch was amazing! Hilliard City Schools f**ked up by letting her go…and she got screwed. It was a witch hunt all because Ms. Olesky was a lesbian. C’mon people…step into the 21st Century, will ya? Your music program went to shit after you let her go!
I digress…end of commercial. Anyway, yes I played the dorky clarinet until I could get my hands on my beloved percussion instruments. (percussion was and still is a competitive area in band) Our bond was initially over the wood instrument that we had to learn. (Although, more modern forms of the instrument is plastic…go figure) Then Chris and I chatted over our mutual musical loves…Quiet Riot, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Def Leppard…WAIT! WHAT? Def Leppard? Are you barking mad????!!! Def Lep is MUH SHIT! We were so maniacal over the fab five that I think we were the only two who could stand each other! (God knows our parents and other friends were sick of our obsessions of them)
Complete lunacy, I tell you! (Many of you can attest to this) Any time Lep came on Mtv…you know, MUSIC TELEVISION…its still around…but way back in the day…ya know, they actually played MUSIC VIDEOS! WOW…WHAT A FREAKIN’ CONCEPT…’EH? I know, I know…its like a relic! Anyway, any time Lep would come on, one of us would call the other and scream like a freakin’ banshee! Many times we would call simultaneously. She had call-waiting, I didn’t. (My dad refused to get it, said it was rude) So usually, my call would go through first! At the time it was “…dude, Photograph (or Rock of Ages or Foolin’) was on. Which was met with ear piercing screams. WTF was wrong with us? (I still think our parents should have had us tested for hormone overload)
First DL show together…Europe/Def Lep 1987. We had seen Lep separately but this was the first time together. Awwwww snap, it was at Buckeye Lake Music…aka Legend Valley…not to far from where I live now…for now. It was a dump fest! Muddy and hot as hell! People were passing out left and right from the heat! Mud up to my knees…and probably Chris’ ankles. (Chris was 6’ for those who don’t know) We were digging, clawing, shoving and making our way to the front of the stage! We made it! So close that Chris could see up Joe Elliott’s shorts! (Hey, I’m only 5’4 but it helps when your best friend is 6’…people tend to get outta your way) My guy was always Rick Allen. (Still love and admire the guy) Hell, I even beat the shit outta Mike Boggs…lil fucker…in 10th grade for making fun of him when he was in the accident and lost his arm. YES, HILLIARD PEOPLE…BET THE PRICK WON’T ADMIT IT BUT I F**KED HIS ASS UP! Mrs. Calhoun’s 10th grade English Class…ask those who witnessed it! ;) Punk got his ass beat by a GIRL! ^_^ Which brings me to another topic…lets face it, Chris was intimidating with her size. Funny thing was, I was the one more apt to fight. Maybe its my Italian blood. Maybe I had a Napoleon complex? I dunno. I’m really no longer like that…UNLESS you jack with my friends, family or are cruel to animals!!! I’m a very Zen…Hindu…tree-hugging…peace loving…neo-hippie type! ;) Otherwise, I’ll want to beat you to a bloody pulp.
I’ll skip ahead…I got pregnant with my daughter in November 1988. I was 19. Obviously it was not planned. My boyfriend at the time, her father, was not exactly the most supportive person. I’m not here to trash him. That is my daughter’s father. He has his positive qualities and was/is a sickeningly talented guitarist…if only he could have channeled it in a positive way. Let’s just say that things were not good when I found out that I was pregnant. Things were suggested that I should do. I did not want to. I adored the life that was growing within me. Chris was my rock at the time. I think she was more excited about the baby than I was. (Not that I wasn’t excited, I was just scared) For a time I was alone and scared. Chris was my total support…up to the point of offering to have me move in with her and WE would raise my daughter together if need be. (We weren’t lesbians…not that there’s anything wrong with that…although we acted questionable just to get people to talk…that was our thing…to shock people. Oh the boys we teased.) We were each other’s “wing girl”…icky guy hitting on ya? Come over and plant a kiss on the other…we’re Lesbos! Sorry! In reality we were straight…although we loved each other just like sisters!
Chrissy saved me so many times during my pregnancy. I have no doubt that if it were not for Chris, my daughter might not be here. I had a couple of miscarriage threats due to stress. Again, she was my rock! The day I brought my beautiful daughter home, Chris MADE me go up, get her out of her crib so that she could hold her God-Baby! She held my daughter for a good six hours! Oh and not to mention that she bought everything under the sun that the child would even need at the time! I shit you not, Chris bought a car seat, a playpen, a highchair, a walker, oodles and oodles of toys and clothes! THEN three months later, Christmas came! You can imagine the massive amounts of stuff that Christ bought her God baby for Christmas!
Then came January. L My 5-month old baby girl and I were out in Hilliard shopping. We went to Scott’s (TG&Y…remember that place?) looking for Valentines day decorations and a Valentine’s card from my daughter to her God-Mommy. I picked everything out, got back home and my boyfriend’s mother called me. (By then my boyfriend…and daughter’s father had gotten a townhouse in Hilliard and were working on trying to make it work for our daughter). His mother called me. “Ummm hi Dee, the State Highway Patrol is trying to get a hold of you. They reached us. There’s been an accident with your friend Chris.”
I thought this quite odd but back in the day, there were no cell phones. They would rummage through your purse/personal belongings if you were in an accident. Obviously they will start at the beginning of the alphabet. My ex-boyfriend’s name started with a B. (Which, incidentally, Chris and her boyfriend Todd introduced us. Sadly, Todd has passed as well…if you remember/knew him. Some people were shocked that I brought him to the funeral. I did so because the last couple moths of Chris‘ life, she and Todd were talking on a very friendly basis. It was my hope that they were working on getting back together. Regardless, they were at least good friends towards the end.) I immediately called the SHP, they gave me a number to call at Doctor’s West Hosp. I call it. They said “Yes, your friend has been in an accident. We cannot release any information, you’ll have to call her parents. They just left.” I was barely 20 years old. I thought “Oh, Ralph and Marsha just left. She must be fine. I’ll call them.” So I dial the number that I STILL know by heart. Ralph answered and I said “Is Chris okay? What’s going on?” He immediately gave the phone to Marsha. That’s when I heard the most horrible words that I think I’ve ever heard…”No Dee, Chrissy is not okay. She’s had an accident. She’s gone. She died.” I LITERALLY slid down the wall that I was leaning up against. Balled myself up into a fetal position and cried hysterically for I don’t know how long. The next thing I remember is my mom showing up at my front door…to take care of “the baby”…and myself. Marsha asked me to call several of our mutual friends, which I did. I don’t remember who I called or what I said. I just remember that I called several.
It sounds morbid but I drove out to the accident site later that night. (For those who do not know…if you know the Darby Estates area…Chris went out Hubbard Rd. to where it dead ends into Broad Street. She and a mutual friend from California were heading to the West side…ya know, when it was still viable? LOL The SHP said that she ran the stop sign…she didn’t. She drove that intersection daily. Her parents and I think that she did a “rolling stop” and tried to turn left. It was a pain-in-the-ass intersection. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Chrissy and I may have had our “party” moments…but we did NOT drink (or anything else) and drive.
Unfortunately a lady living in West Jeff heading into WJ (West) hit her. Wasn’t the lady’s fault. (I have since been told that she had felt horribly guilty about the accident. I talked to her and assured her that none of us blamed her) Just a mistake and a misjudgment on Chris’s part. Pure accident. Death by Hemothorax. I later learned in nursing school…Chris basically took too much trauma in the chest area. I was told that she did not suffer. Fittingly enough, it was around 2am and I parked my car on the West side of Hubbard Rd. I got out and gazed at the intersection. Some debris was left. I found a mangled Def Leppard pin that I know Chris had on her jean-jacket. It was bent and somewhat tarnished…I waited for the traffic to pass, went out and picked it up. I still have it.
Our mutual friend was paralyzed but last I talked to her, she is thriving in the beautiful music scene of Los Angeles. Part of me died that day. The innocent, naïve, goofy part of me. I grew up…and I grew up quick. My best friend was gone. My confidant was gone. The friend that held me together when I wanted to lose it was gone. My innocence was gone. But that’s okay, I needed to grow up. I just wish it hadn’t happened that way. I had my baby girl to live for now.
As I stood at Tidd’s Funeral Home, I walked by her casket. The yellow roses, the little teddy bear and the roses that said “God-Mother.” I held my 5-month old baby girl. And I told her, “This is YOUR God-Mommy…she is YOUR guardian angel and she will always watch after you. Your Aunt Chrissy will always watch over you!”
And she has. <3
I love you bitch! And I miss you!
And my beautiful daughter…Chris’ God-baby…that lil 5-month old baby girl…
Riquendra Krystyne…
Doesn’t she just have that “bad-ass blond Chris look about her?” Yup, I think Chris would be proud. I love you Kiwi!
Please share your stories, memories of Chris...for my daughter...so that she knows what an awesome person her God-Mommy was! :)
