Keep On Moving

On Monday January 28 th , 2008 a great champion for the individual spirit passed away, Steve Smith. In the many years of his active life he brought a fire to all he came into contact with on a daily basis. Steve always had a truly perfect response to all interactions, although some were not always the most appropriate you always knew that deep down he truly cared about how you felt. Whether that was inspirational as in “smoking’s bad for you” or enviable as in “Your Packers lost last night, they suck” or instructive as in “You need to get your hair cut, you look like a shaggy dog”. And that sample of little life tips were given to just anybody anyone. He was a man of the people. At any given time of Steve’s life he was on the move, experiencing life. Steve was the honorary manager of the West Branch football team, supporter of all things Hawkeye, heavily involved in a wide network of friends and a hard working friendly smile at Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop, Employment Systems and Goodwill’s Retail Support Center to name just of few of the experiences that he kept in his life. In all of these experiences Steve always brought a genuineness that few could express the way he did. He could incite friends to shake with frustration, he could leave loved ones speechless and he could even turn the most gnarly stoic biker into his long lost pal. I believe the source for all these interactions came from a strong sense of self reliance and independence that few people with or without a disability possess. In commemoration of Steve I would like each of us in our personal lives and in the services we provide to ask ourselves “Are we truly experiencing all that life has to offer?” With that question in our mind and in our hearts I believe the memory of Steve will continue to live on.