e at the wheel

(Andree here) I felt guilty for not posting and not brave enough to look at all the photos.

So, I pushed myself to look for only a little something and found this from Sean. For some odd reason it cheered me up a tiny bit. I like to think that E is up putting the hurt on some unpaved heavenly terrain. Whee!

Don't forget now - I will post whatever you like, just send it and tell me so.

and some more photos

(Andree here) From an epic road trip a couple years back, with Bill Skibbe and cameos by Walt Leuth and Adam Baker.

let's have some photos

All photos of the Rising, courtesy Art Thompson. (AndreeL)

a new friend: brett

Andree here. My regrets for not publishing more this past week. Sometimes I'm not as brave as I could wish, lately.

But I'd like you to read what Brett Ankrom sent along. He is (yes, I use present tense) one of Erik's newer friends, and I hope more of us will be meeting him sooner rather than later. This is what he sent over the course of a couple-a-emails:
* * *
I have spent most of today thinking of Erik, with my thoughts going to Nancy and the kids. I only knew Erik for 5 years but he had a profound effect on me. His passing has been very rough on me and I find myself grieving with an intensity that I only felt when I lost my twin brother. All of us share the First of January as our birthday's, I will not let a New Years pass without thinking of Erik and my brother Brian.

I know that you Purdoms have a special outlook on things and have a wonderful way of expressing yourselves, please don't lose that perspective. I hope that the coming months and years won't bitter or corrupt your zest for life and taint your heart with thoughts that have crept in my mind over the years since my brothers death. The road ahead will be filled with why's and how come, but keep your strength. Erik lives in everyone who loves him, hell I still have a voice mail from him from this summer that I cannot stop listening to, but he will always be a bigger memory to me than that. Yes, I like many have learned and borrowed from Erik, I will carry those traits that I so admired in him with me and try to pay them forward to others as unselfishly as he did. Just know that time won't heal the pain, nor should it when you have a loss as big as Erik, but all that know him will conclude that he wants the smiles to flow like the tears have. Yes I cry for Erik, but I will smile too, for I am better to have known him than not, God Keep You My Big Viking Friend.

God keep you strong Purdoms, God give strength to Nancy for her sake and Lyric and Jaeger. Keep the faith and always keep the flame of Erik in your heart.
Love and Warmth to Erik's family and friends
Brett & Cheryl Ankrom

(And when I asked if I could post this he replied)

I have not had the pleasure of meeting you or the wonderful Purdom Family. I am the guy Erik, Nancy and the kids hung out with for a month 4 years ago when launching the Mozo program at the Sysco Food Show in Cleveland. I could not attend the Erik Rising because even though I am 6 foot and 237 pounds of piss, vinegar & muscle from linebacker and bodybuilding days, I do not possess enough strength to stop my overwhelming sense of loss and grief from Erik. You may inquire with Nancy how I cried when he and his family left us from the month we had together, he truly became like a brother to me in that time (I lost my twin brother from Cystic Fibrosis at 16 years 9 months) I looked forward to him just walking in and heading to the fridge!

As I reply to you Andree, eyes welling, I know that the David Bowie and Devo selections are now branded deep in my mind with images of a great man called Erik Purdom.

* * *
How could I not publish this? Welcome, Brett, and we look forward to a happier day when we get to meet you in person. Meanwhile here's a virtual hug and hankie...

adam's editorial

(Andree here) Here's Adam's editorial from Carson City, Nevada's NevadaAppeal.com. I promised it to you all and know you will appreciate Adam's thoughts . . .

* * *
Since I dropped out of the mayor’s race a couple of months ago, I’ve had a lot of people ask why. Well, to tell the truth, right after I filed, there were a lot of “Murphie’s Law” type of events that hit me all at once. The worst thing, however, was receiving word that one of my best friends was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I spent the last couple of months or so traveling back and forth to Washington State helping him through the worst nightmare anybody could possibly imagine. Erik lost his battle on the morning of August 14. He was only forty-two. We have been friends since high school and to be honest folks, my head just wasn’t where it should have been to serve you the way I thought I should have been able to. My apologies.

I would have made a terrible mayor or supervisor anyway. I don’t have any wild, hell raising chickens in my yard, or anything like that. That and I probably would have done something totally out of character for a city representative too, listened to the voters. I do ride my bike to work though . . . sober. Not very interesting, I’m afraid. Okay, enough of the cheap shots. Sorry, that was my warped sense of humor rearing its goofy old head again.

Anyway, the reason I brought up my friend Erik was that even in the midst of agonizing pain and suffering, the amazing creativity and selflessness everyone knew him for would still peek out from behind the clouds once in awhile. I recall him reeling in agony and yet he was more concerned with making sure your beer was cold enough than focusing on his own dilemma. He always had an amazing talent for thinking outside of the box too. I confess that I had been doing a little snooping around his office the day after he died and I stumbled upon one of the latest projects he was working on. I won’t tell anyone what it was for obvious reasons, but I can say this. I was astonished by the fact it was such a simple idea and yet such an ingenious one. It was an idea that was very typical of my friend’s selfless outlook on life. It was something that was designed to help others, namely children. In my opinion, it was revolutionary.

Erik was just that kind of a guy. He was always creating something that made the world a better place, all the while provoking you to you think while he was doing it. He was extremely successful because he never gave anybody a handout. He had this amazing talent for pointing out to people the gifts they already had inside of them and helping them discover how to set their own ideas into motion. Wouldn’t it be great to have leaders like this? I think our country did at one time. This is the caliber of leadership you don’t find much anymore, but when you do, it’s like finding treasure. This is the kind of leadership our country was built on. This is the kind of leadership and integrity I want from my friends to my mayor on up to my president.

I’m like a lot of people who are sick of trying to achieve “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” only to be told by my government twenty reasons why I can’t. I want leadership that knows that the first rule of being a leader is to know how to be a servant. I want leadership that empowers its people and their talents before shopping elsewhere. And where did this idea that we as Americans can’t think and do for our selves anymore come from? Well, you may not like the answer, but here it is. Ourselves. That’s right. Many of us have become slaves to our own apathy and laziness. So what’s the answer Baker? Well, maybe this is coming from a simple-minded barber, but I believe the answer is to repent. The word “repent” scares a lot of people, but it simply means to have a serious change of heart, do an “about face” and walk the opposite way we’ve been walking.

Instead of trying to go around the world policing it, maybe we should just go back to being the example to it. Maybe instead of allowing ourselves to continue being the fat and lazy consumers of the world, we ought to repent, cinch up our belts a notch or two and re-discover the mighty producers we once were. Maybe we ought to stop listening to our politicians tell us we’re all stupid and they know what’s best for us, and collectively take back what is right instead of allowing them to keep doing what is wrong.

If I do a bad haircut, my customer fires me. Why don’t we enforce the firing of public servants who do a poor job? I believe in capital punishment! I believe a lot of people in the capital should be punished! I also believe in the “time out” philosophy in discipline; “time out for a spanking!”

Apathy. Apathy is destroying us, one look the other way at a time. The way I see it, until we all stop focusing on ourselves first, we can never grow in the direction we need to grow as fellow humans. The next time you find yourself dwelling in the land of “Me,” try and “repent.” Do something to empower someone else, even if it hurts. Hey and if you’re ready for a real rush, do something good for someone who would never do something good for you. No strings attached either! I know, it’s the opposite of how a lot of brainwashed people typically think, but can you imagine what would happen if everyone did this for a day, or even an hour?

I’m Adam Baker. And this has been “A Little Off the Top.”

sean's notes from the rising

(Andree here) Sean sent along his notes from which he spoke at the Rising, and I thought you all might enjoy seeing them. Stay tuned for a worthy editorial Adam Baker wrote for his hometown paper, but right now Sean is in the spotlight . . . here you go.

* * *

“Erik Rising”

Opening

· My name is Sean Purdom and as most of you know, I am Erik’s big brother.

· I would like to welcome our friends and family to Erik Rising, a tribute to one of the finest human beings this earth has had the privilege of being peed on by…..and my beautiful brother.

· The Purdom Family would like to thank you for spending a portion of your weekend with us to celebrate the life of Erik. Yes, this day will be difficult and sad as we each discuss our memories of the “Big E”, but today is a celebration. A celebration of the extremely adventurous life that my brother led and usually attempted to wrap you in to whether you liked it or not.

· Erik was not like all the others…he was not like me. He was different and that difference is what made him uniquely qualified to be who he was. He was the kid that wore yellow pants to high school, when everyone else was wearing blue SF Riding Jeans or Britannia’s……Who was to know that this different and unique kid would grow up to be the master of his universe and live on a plane most of us can only dream about? If you were lucky enough to get wrapped up in the tornado called Erik…you understand what I am saying.

· Erik touched many people’s lives. He touched everyone in this room….and more. Whether you met Erik once or you were a lifelong friend…he touched you. Erik was a person that you do not easily forget. Be it his imposing stature or his silver tongue…not easy to forget.

· Erik lived 3 lifetimes to our 1. As I look at this video presentation, it becomes even clearer how much this kid lived. No adventure was too big for him.

· I would like to walk you down a path of memories that I shared with Erik, some good, some bad….all treasured.

Outline

· Growing Up Memories
o We did not always get along
§ We used to fight like cats and dos sitting next to each other in the car.
§ Many a fight rolling around in the back yard with massive headlocks applied.
o Erik’s attempt at playing baseball in grade school
o Mom divorcing us in the 7th and 8th grade
o Playing wiffle ball and hotbox for hours in the back yard.
· High School
o Erik cheerleading
o Erik’s crazy attitude
o Stupid stunts
o Playing guitar in BGHS plays
o Who would have known at this point that Erik could have mastered any skill he wanted
· Adulthood
o The Portland drug house (ed. note: Dude, they named it "Bad Manor" - AL)
o Working at subway-they could not understand why Erik’s fingers always had grease under the nails
o Owning businesses and bouncing ideas
§ It did not matter what your particular widget or service was….Erik could provide a barrage of ideas to improve your possibilities
o Project Work
§ Erik was an idea guy. More so than any other person that I have ever met.
§ Fun and challenging to work with….
§ Never settled for mediocrity
§ Pinz
§ Mozo
§ Most folks do not know this but Erik, Nancy, Art Thompson and I were going to toss a daredevil out of a balloon over 100K feet in the air….these are the kind of ideas Erik could wrap his mind around.
§ I always ask myself…would Erik (and Hans for that matter) think this is quality work?
o Cooking
§ Erik could have been a master chef. Restaurant owner.
§ Figuring out his recipes would have been a challenge.
o Property
§ Erik had an amazing ability to visualize and then realize his ideas
§ As you will see at Erik and Nancy’s property…he is a big idea guy….and it shows.
o Family and Friends
§ Erik was all about family and friends.
§ Loved his family, loved his friends

Closing

Friends, I could go on forever. If there is one thing about the Purdom family, there is no shortage of experiences. Erik helped create many of them.

As we all share our memories today, remember, Erik is looking down on us and saying….what are you guys all crying about? Why aren’t you at my house in the sauna or in the pit having a barbeque….and a beer.

Erik was the type of cat that learned from his life experiences. He had an amazing hard drive. He he remembered memories of our childhood that we long gone for me. Guys like him seemingly have learned all they can learn, but even Erik, as intelligent as he was…was learning until the end. His advice as he was leaving us…..balance….balance your life.

Cheers Erik…..I will see you on the other side……I love you brother.

* * *

Photo is courtesy of Art Thompson, and I need to share some more of them with you - Art, you and Roberta are a privilege and joy to know.

ron maatita

(Andree here) Ron sent me this last night.

He meant to get up at the Rising and read it, but sometimes there's only so much the heart can take at a particular time. Here at the blog it's here safely to be read over and over. So excellent Ron, you have the com. . .

* * *

These words sat folded in my pocket for the duration of the celebration.

I met Erik in the fall of 1990 (or there about). Back then I was a design school dropout driving a courier van for LA Gear in Los Angeles, and I was fully intent on becoming a footwear designer. No schools were teaching Athletic footwear design at that time and I’d hoped the best way to learn the craft was from the inside. Once inside the company I forced my design portfolio onto anyone who would entertain me. From CFO’s to salespeople, designers to janitors, I was met with the usual pat on the head and canned words of encouragement, until I met Erik.

I approached the largest man I’d ever meet, whom at the time sported the largest braided ponytail I’d ever seen, expecting to be flicked away like the pest I was convinced to be. To my pleasant surprise, he spoke to me with a sincerity and enthusiasm yet to be rivaled by anyone in my life. He had a way of speaking to this stranger as if I were the only person at the party. Over time he took me under his expansive wings and molded me into a footwear designer, we became friends as well. In early 1994 I finally earned the design 1 position for Mens and Boys footwear, working under my mentor and buddy. I owed him immensely.

The next few years at Gear are where I honed my skills and continued my education. In addition to the hard work and late nights, Erik taught me to find inspiration in the world around me, as it was everywhere. We partook in field trips to stimulate the mind, dug through countless boxes of airplane parts, watched sculptures which shot fire and destroyed themselves and on at least one occasion, witnessed a man in Golden Gate Park who appeared to be in his 50’s fully dressed like a baby, diaper, bonnet and all. Inspiration came from all of this. He also taught me the fine art of filing margarita mix in my file cabinet under “M” and how to drink Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in full view of the company’s security cameras, after hours of course.

After Erik left the corporate world I joined him as a sub contractor to Purdom Footwear Design. This was to become the absolute pinnacle of my career. We took on only the most interesting of challenges and quickly became a sought after “full service” resource. From design to hand made prototyping, promotional vehicles to protective sport brassieres, we did it all- and I’m proud to say that we did it better than the other guys. As with all things worthy, the challenges proved to be stressful and we faced them with grace and endless amounts of laughter. At this point in time our careers became our lifestyle. This was no job. The days were long and the projects were rewarding. I was proud that Erik referred to me as his #1 through it all. I long for those days.

In our years together, we shared an eventful and interesting bond. He was the man responsible for my pre-wedding pep talk. We shared the births of our first daughters and the untimely deaths of our fathers-in-law, who died exactly a week apart in 1998. We shared celebrations and music, meteor showers and micro brews, uproarious laughter and tears. I can still feel the pain of the collision we suffered as we carved the Summit Run, snowboarding in Big Bear. Though I don’t think he suffered as much as I did.

I made the difficult decision to return to the corporate world in 2001. Erik and I had remained friends, though his returning to Washington State and our life’s demands would keep us apart. We’d go on to see each other at trade shows and during the odd business trip. Each meeting only reminding me of how much I missed him. He was never too bashful to tell me that he felt the same way. On a winter evening in 2006 I walked him to his cab in Las Vegas (Yes, many a drink flowed that night). Before he pulled away Erik got out of his cab as if he’d forgotten something and said, “I miss you, buddy”.

The last time I saw Erik was in early August. I was fortunate to spend a couple days in Washougal. Even in sickness he still showed concern for others. Looking at the clock, he urged me to get on the road and not miss my flight. The last tearful words I shared with him were that I loved him and that he’s always with me. I also told him that he’s the best friend my life has ever had. I left, convinced that we’d see each other again.

Erik gave me gifts of knowledge, experience and friendship. He opened doors for me. I can only honor him by sharing that knowledge which he so selflessly gave to me. I will never again meet anyone like Erik Purdom.

I will miss him painfully for the rest of my life.