the JARRETT story

To speak about Jarrett in a way that paints him out to be this ‘stellar young scholar’ is something that I think would even make him laugh, at least I hope it would. He was a cutie pie to the core! He had the cutest little dimples and I would always try to make him laugh or smile just so I could see his dimples light up the room.

His personality was very soft-spoken. Quiet. A silent jokester.

He was a great listener.

His advice was realistic and straight forward.

Once you got him out of his shell, he was talkative, friendly, and I doubt there was anyone in his life who would disagree that he was a great guy to his core.

He and I didn’t exactly grow up on the same side of the tracks, and we didn’t really know each extremely well outside of work. We spent sometimes 40, 50, 60, 70 or even more hours, each and every week along side each other. In those hours spent with another human being you form a bond.

Those weren’t hours spent alone at a desk in an office.

No.

Those were hours spent with a 3” think bullet proof glass windowed wall between you and your driver; or in the reverse, you and your messenger. Each money moving truck is equipped with enough crew to satisfy corporate standards and Federal requirements and guidelines.

The relationships that men form in these types of job roles, and women too, is more of a brotherhood or sisterhood. It very familia. It didn’t matter who you were partnered with for the day, we all had each other’s backs, looking out for OUR LIVES, which was the key to hauling money back and forth across the ghetto.

At one time I had $6 mil sitting in front of my house in an armored car, as I ran inside to let the dog out and my driver watched in earnest to get a glimpse of MY life.

There were times I’d had a truck full of ZERO dollars for endless miles upon endless miles.

You know what makes hell on earth just a little better?

Knowing people like Jarrett.

He was such a sweetie. I admit, I always had a crush on him - but in that brotherly love I always figured, he wasn’t in the LGBTQ community, he had a child, he was married - so I always looked at him with wonderment and amazement. He was such an adorable, respectful, honest, caring young man.

He always kept me safe, helped me get home from work each night, and he made those long days ever so much more bearable. It wasn’t in anything he did other than by just being himself. When we could listen to music, he had great taste in what he chose. He had great taste in what kind of cars he drove.

He had great taste in the clothes he wore. He had great life advice. Other than his cute little dimples, he had a heart of gold and would never harm a fly.

He fell upon ill health around the the time that I was departing Detroit for a lifelong move to anywhere-other-than-Detroit. After I left Detroit, Jarrett’s health took a downward spin, stopping midway to provide hope, then crashing down off the end of 2020 like a rollercoaster on fire.

I think his death came as a shock to many.

It definitely came as a shock to me, but not being in his immediate family, nor his immediate circle - sadly was a role I was used to playing by now at funerals. Jarrett was, sad but true, just one of many, many, many losses that I suffered in 2020.

I bawled my eyes out, and I still do, knowing that Jarrett leaves behind a 12 year old son (thereabouts) just immediately before the holidays.

As time goes on the memories will be cherished or forgotten about and eventually, for me anyhow, I’ll look at his portrait (as shown above, as drawn by Joshua Dela Rosa) with wonder and amazement, and wish for brief moments that I had his dimples, knowing one day, I will all get to see them again.

Some people will long for his soul even longer than others, like the son that Jarrett leaves behind, he’ll see more in this very portrait than what any of us ever do.

I hope he is able to look into his father's eyes, whenever he needs it, and receive a glimmer of hope, an inner peace, that he can feel his father's love and no matter what brought him there, after the tears, he finds his happyness. Maybe in some sort of way we can hope that an angel named Jarrett is watching out for all of us, as a brother, friend, father...and son.

Please visit www.greatlyawakened.com to purchase a Jarrett inspired portrait or product, all proceeds go to Jarrett's son, and the artist who drew the portrait.