Its Been A Long Road

Two Friends.
Two Roads Coming Together Throughout Our Lives.

NOTE: Written for a contest to try and make our roads cross yet again. Vote Here (A Facebook contest via Spirit 105.9) to help it happen. Voting ends 10/5/12. 


By Sean Claes


Trevor On Stage at Backwoods Bash.

 We were just kids in church, laughing during the sermons, singing “Amazing Grace” off-key and learning about the love of God, attending Boy Scouts together where his dad was an Assistant Scoutmaster when Trevor’s family decided to move to Tulsa. I didn’t understand why then… I was just 10 or so. Later I found out his father wanted to better their lives so he went to law school at Oral Roberts University (He just retired from his successful practice this year). For a 10 year old with a good friend, it marked the end. Long distance friendships hardly ever work out no matter how much you try. This was about 1985, before cell phones and Facebook so Tulsa, Oklahoma really was a world away from our home in Laredo, Texas - Especially for a pre-teen kid like me.

Anyhow, Trevor moved away… somehow we kept in touch over the years. I was 15 when I got to travel to Tulsa to visit. He was 17 when he came to Laredo for a stay. After high-school he’d go to Drake University in Iowa and serve in the military. After high-school I worked at the local newspaper and transferred to Southwest Texas State University. We kept in touch throughout the 1990s, but not close – a few phone calls, a visit or two.

During Christmas 2003 his little brother was killed. I’ll spare the details. I’ll just say a 22 year-old kid that was well on his way to becoming a great man was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

In the phone calls that followed, we rekindled the friendship. Over grief, over memories, over laughter, and over time we discovered that we chose a similar path in life. We were both professionals who chose the love of music as a main outlet. In our off-time he was promoting and producing music and I was an entertainment writer.



Matt Jostes, Trevor Lane, Damien Hartzel
and Sean Claes - at BWB 1.



So, when one day in 2004 it wasn’t that big of a surprise when Trevor called me and said he wanted to throw a benefit festival and he wanted to know if I could help. Not a show… a festival. An annual event to raise money for the foundation that was created in memory of his brother, the Make A Difference Foundation, and share the love of independent music, those who are out there making a difference for themselves.

The Backwoods Bash was born five years ago. The first year it happened… barely. One of my old bosses used to say, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” I said “The only reason to have a First Ever is to have a Second Annual.” BUT, the music is what brought us together. This past year Backwoods Bash celebrated its 5th Anniversary. Due to financial reasons I’ve not been able to attend the last 3 years.



Trevor (center) and Sean (right) pose
at BWB 2008



When we do get together (which seems to happen about twice a decade), or when we talk on the phone, it’s like not a day has passed. We are both married and have children. Our parents are retiring, and we now find ourselves pushing 40. We’ve graduated from laughing in the pews to being active members of our churches. We’ve been through a lot in our lives, and together as friends.



I just made it through a major life change and he is about to have some serious surgery and perhaps enter into a life change of his own. We both have the love of Christ and we remind each other of this every time we talk.

 

I would love to have the opportunity to give him and his wife the gift of Spirit Fest… and bring them to Austin from Tulsa, Oklahoma. We’ve been friends for 30 years, and it would be great to be able to just sit back and enjoy music, friends, love, and laughter together.



Thanks for reading. De Colores.

NOTE: Written for a contest to try and make our roads cross yet again. Vote Here (A Facebook contest via Spirit 105.9) to help it happen. Voting ends 10/5/12. 





Trevor, Matt, and Sean end of
BWB Day 2 in 2008 (last time I saw Trev).