I threw myself into the water waiting for the tide to take me away…
I threw myself into the water waiting for the tide to take me home…
I shattered myself against the rocks
I splintered my soul against the docks
I threw myself into the water.

The current traps the current and makes it past.
The past wraps the present and guides the mast
The mast fills the future and the future fills us all
The ship sets course with no remorse
I threw myself into the water.

There is no need to sail away from here. 

Although I have written about the person Evan was and how much he meant to me countless times, there are a few things I have yet to touch on. Primarily, the influence Evan had on his friends (or anyone that he came in contact with for that matter) and the lasting impression his passion and personality has had on their lives (and how this impact has helped keep Evan's memory and philosophy an ever lasting and growing influence to an extraordinary amount of people).

One morning Evan and I stopped to get a coffee before doing an outdoor workout at a local soccer field. Although I had worked at a coffee shop throughout high school and university I had never really drank coffee (especially mochas) before that day. After copying Evan's order I wasted no time drinking it… In an attempt to control an extreme case of the jitters I found myself reading what I thought was a list of ingredients on the cup… to my surprise, it was a short story.

The story was about a customer who had paid for their coffee along with the order of the person behind them. When the following customer had pulled up to the cash in the drive thru they decided to pay for the person behind them as well… this went on for 17 orders. The last words of the story were 'Pay it forward'.   

Evan, after having noticed my fixation with the cup asked me what I was doing. I gave him the gist of the story and he humphed and said 'cool'. We didn't discuss or have a conversation about it, but, looking back on my time with Evan and his impact on my life, I can't help but realize that he was the stranger who paid for my coffee (in a literal sense at the time and a metaphorical sense now)

Most of the people who were close with Evan have become an extended family of mine. These people are personal trainers, teachers, veterans, film makers, etc… in short, these people have put themselves in a position that allows them to make the lives of the people that they come in contact with better. They have taken the power of one and made it a reality. Essentially, they have all done their part to 'pay it forward'.

Having said that, I don't feel like I have really done my friend justice. In order to take the gift that Evan gave me (and continues to give) I have decided to return to school to become a Social Service Worker. And, although I am sure that I will cross paths with many great minds and teachers alike, I know I will never meet anyone like Evan. I love and miss my friend more than words can describe.

Evan's message lives on in us all. It is up to us to believe in the power of one and pay it forward. We can change the world.