Jensen 1

English 2010
Memoir / Profile
Ty Jensen
Final
*Revision I made was adding the header.

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It was a lovely spring afternoon. The window was cracked open while I sat in my chair watching
the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The breeze from outside would come
through my window and cool me down as it was hot and the swamp cooler was not yet set up,
the birds were out and about and every once in a while you would hear a chirp or two and an
occasional dog barking in the neighborhood. It was a perfect lazy day, still in my pajamas,
enjoying a coke on ice and just watching the ball game. Thats when I saw an incoming phone
call from my best friends older brother. My phone vibrated till I answered. This is when I heard
the dreadful news that I never wanted to hear or even imagine hearing. My best friend had died
the day before on Saturday. Elliott was not only my best friend but he was my brother and I
loved him, I still do and he will be missed every day. Pain Killers killed my best friend, brother.
*This revision was my new thesis that I was advised on from Jim to move from my conclusion to
into as my thesis.

We use to play the video game NBA 2k on playstation4 nearly every time we hung out. I
usually picked the Jazz because I m a huge fan and he would usually pick the New York Knicks
because they were his favorite team and Carmelo Anthony was his favorite player in the NBA
dating to his time with the Denver nuggets. I would compete and usually have the lead through
the first and third quarter then the dreaded Fourth quarter curse would take place. I would have
a hard time scoring and he would retake the lead and beat me. I would stand, jump, yell, and
curse at the TV. These are the times I would do anything to bring back. He would beat me eight
or nine out of ten times and thats ok, I would do anything to bring back those defeats.
I saw him the day before he died on Friday. It was a just like it was another day when we
hung out. We talked and laughed and enjoyed the nice weather outside. I watched as he went to

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his car and grabbed his favorite pack of smokes out of the glove department. He puffed on what
would end up being one of his last cigarettes. We talked about what we normally would talk
about, the NBA, work, and just how each one of us were doing. we were talking about the
playoffs and decided that we would pick two teams playing each other as our teams in NBA
2k16. It was a normal game. He ended up beating me and it was all fun and laughs. I then went
to head home and he told me he was going to take a nap and that he wanted me to call him at
four to wake him up. His tired voice as he said Hello, and thank you talk to you later still
stick with me two months later. I didnt know that when I called him to wake him up at four that
it would end up being the last time I would ever talk to him.
On a Saturday afternoon late in April in 2016 my best friend died from an opiate
overdose. I tried to text him that Saturday and he never replied which I thought was weird but
never in my wildest imagination would I imagine him overdosing and dying. He took one to
many pain killers and fell asleep in his bed where he would be found later who knows how long
by his father who said that when he walked into the room he knew something was wrong. My
best friend dead all because of one bad decision to take one to many pills.
I will never forget the words I heard on the phone from my best friends brother Hes
gone, hes dead man. I was in shock I asked at least twice if it was a joke but he just kept telling
me it wasnt a joke and that he was gone. I couldnt believe it. Its like the whole world froze for a
minute and I couldnt even explain what happened at this time, I guess it was just the shock and
my heart breaking. I sat in front of my TV in my chair frozen as I could hear the ballgame in my
ears as the Pirates just hit a home run. I didnt cry. My wife then asked me what was wrong and I
told her, I still didnt cry. I went outside to call my dad to inform him what had happened. I told
him, but I didnt cry. I dint cry for an hour or two and I didnt know why. My heart was broken

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as I kept replaying what I was told in my head over and over again. As soon as that first or
second hour ended I started to not only cry but bawl. I cried so much that I couldve filled a tub
up.
The next day on Monday his obituary came out and his funeral services were to be held
on Thursday morning. Every minute leading up to Thursday I battled with myself in my own
head. Do I want to go? I cant see my best friend like this. I dont want to say bye. In the end I
decided to go because I wanted to tell him good bye and that I would see him again. I took a
deep breath and walked into the funeral home and stood in a long line full of friends and family
who talked about memories. Waiting in line felt like forever as each second ticked away I got
scared and nervous because I didnt know if could see my best friend dead.
I finally got to the front and I hugged his father and told him that he raised one hell of a
man and that I would miss him so much I then walked over to his mother who hung over my
friends lifeless body and we hugged and talked. She wouldnt let go His body looked cold and
lifeless. His skin purple and blue. He looked swollen, guess it was because he pretty much
suffocated to death while he was heavily sedated in his overdose. He didnt look like the person
I saw less than a week ago. I said my goodbyes and then walked away and went outside for fresh
air.
The day before his funeral was the last time I cried about his death, even to this day. I guess Im
all cried out because thats all I did the first few days. I didnt even eat. I swear I lost some
weight that week. To this day I get sad but never tears. Instead Ive done a lot of research on the
war on drugs and stuff related to it. I read stats on overdoses in Utah and the united states as a
whole. The rage I have gotten from what Governor Herbert has said about how he believes
Pornography is the biggest problem in Utah right now. My best friend died from an Opiate

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overdose and many people do every week and he wants to say porn is Utahs biggest problem, I
believe its a joke. Reading everything he is saying about porn but he still is like yeah the war on
drugs is a problem but porn. I guess its just my opinion.
My best friend died from an Opiate Overdose. It haunts me today and I will never forget
him. The pain is still fresh. There needs to be harder access to these drugs and ways to keep this
drug off the street. I will no longer be able to spend time with my best friends. The world lost an
amazing person, friend, son and brother