From Will Talcott

Smile in his eye

My favorite memories with Augie were laughing with our friends. Augie had a great sense of humor and loved to put on a bit. My favorite bits were the ones where he was making it up as he went along, and he would make himself laugh as he thought of something to add. Whenever that happened, he would get this twinkle in his eye and then he would let out what I call a throat laugh before proceeding to go deeper into whatever bit he had going on. That was always a real treat to watch, Augie had a real knack for storytelling and the imagination to come up with some great material. In another life I could see him as a stand-up comic. 

Just some thoughts

The things I valued most about Augie was his great sense of humor, his passion for his crafts, and his total loyalty for those he loved. I’ve already written about his humor, so I want to talk about the other things Augie did so well. Augie inspired me with his drive for the things he liked and believed in. He had SO much passion for his interest or when talking about the things he believed in. I think it really upset Augie to see the little guy losing, and you can interpret that however you will but when he saw some injustice or authority misused it made him very upset. When we would talk about things like that, bay area locals being pushed out by gentrification, police brutality, etc he would get so impassioned and excited to talk about how he wanted the world to be a better place. As someone who sometimes feels a little listless or lacking in passion that always inspired me and I’ve been spending my early adulthood trying to find those causes, hobbies, and professional pursuits that make me light up the same way Augie would. I think Augie was lucky to feel as passionately and as deeply as he did about the world and I hope that everyone lights that same fire in themselves.

Augie was such a loyal friend to me. We didn’t have the best decision-making skills in High School, and we got in trouble sometimes, but I always knew Augie had my back. Whether it was drama with another person or just feeling like an outsider sometimes I always knew I had Augie, and not just as someone who would accept me for me but someone who called it as he saw it. A real friend lets you know when you fucked up and helps you to do better. Augie always did that for me, letting me know countless times when I was being an asshole or how I should have stood up for myself differently or whatever advice he had to give that day. On a lighter note I distinctly remember him telling me to stop wearing cargo shorts because those were for toddlers or old men (lol!) I didn’t stop wearing them but that was good advice and I wish I had listened (back to my bad decision-making skills at 16). It’s nice to have friends like that, they aren’t fair weather friends and they love you unconditionally, but they also don’t let you get away with bullshit (or wear wack fits!). Those are the type of people you want in your corner.

I’m sorry that Augie had been having such a rough time at the end. I wish I could have been a better friend at that time or at least brought him some light on his bad days. Depression is a terrible disease and it makes me sad to know he felt so down and alone, I just wish I could have done more. He had a great supporting cast of friends and family around him and I don’t think I am some kind of superhero who could have saved him from his disease, but I guess I wish I had tried harder. We love you and we will miss you Augie, thank you for everything you did for me.

Some Haikus

Always there for me

Wish I had been there for you

I’ll miss you friend

In my corner now

A loyal friend at all times

Irreplaceable

Art is forever

A feeling is but fleeting

You live on in us

Inspired by your work

Acting photos graffiti

I love that you love

Some days we are sad

Bad days we are sick and alone

Those are the worst days