I first met Matt at one of the Whalen Weekend Volleyball Extravaganzas. Matt introduced himself to me and upon first impression I judged he was a very happy and genuinely nice guy. Matt was someone that everyone was drawn to. He was one of the few men in this world that have maturity and confidence in who they truly are.

 

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Matt many times in his travels to San Diego. He could strike up a conversation with anyone whether it was a party, beach, or drug store. His personality disarmed many of the uptight egos that walled out their true vulnerabilities. Sometimes, there are friends that you have to selectively invite because they can’t get survive in certain settings or with certain people. With Matt, there was no caveat to his invitation. You could ask him to hang out with complete strangers or help you with arduous manual labor and his answer was always “yes”. 

 

Later I would enjoy time with Matt on the Bachelor cruise for Adam. I remember he sat and smiled as I asked Jason, “So how do you know Adam?” (Thanks for hooking a brotha up Matt!) Like many of us, he was conned into Dan Peddy’s famous breakfast burritos. The first telling sign should have been how Dan said he was adding a “touch of class” to the trip and exclaimed “Burrito’s for all my friends!” Matt, unlike many of us, treated his body with respect and was not used to the greasy fat-pills that D.Piddy had swindled us with. I remember the first part of the boat ride he was not his usual self. As the day progressed he was back on his A-game and a great friend to hang out with. We jumped in and out of the water, sang incoherently with the radio, played jokes on each other and enjoyed a day and half of unadulterated male bonding.

 

I feel honored to have intersected Matt’s circle for a part of my life. Like most, I wish I had gotten more time with him. I imagine if we had lived in the same area, we would have been hanging out more frequently. I am deeply saddened that such a wonderful person was taken from the earth in his youth. I know he impacted so many people and he reminds me that life is precious and that time and people are the most valuable assets I have.