“There is something beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over; the wound is closed and healed, done with.” – Harry Crews
Jake was THAT guy in high school everyone came to talk to when they had a problem. Of course, the usual subjects were family issues, frienemy problems, and the chaos of high school romance. But, Jake would listen for hours with empathy and patience.
Jake went to college, he had a passion for helping people, and his chosen course of study was Psychology. So he spent many hours searching the internet for information about the brain: how it worked, what affected it, and of course, why people felt unease and stress.
How does someone interested in the brain end up using his brain as a testing subject for the effects of mind-altering chemicals? Curiosity?
I guess the thoughts, “It is safe” or “I know how much to take, and I can control it,” might have been the permission Jake needed. I wish I had an answer back then (or now), but some things are never revealed.
After Jake died from heroin, two of his contemporaries told me how Jake was there for them and how he listened and cared. One told me he was on the verge of killing himself while drunk, and after a long conversation with Jake, he somehow didn’t end his life. The other told me she was afraid to sleep, so she would call Jake. She told me he would stay on the phone with her for hours and wouldn’t hang up until he was sure she had drifted off to sleep. Jake was a healer that couldn’t save himself.
Jake taught me compassion.
Jake taught me the face and words of anguish.
Jake wanted everyone to feel safe and understood; now, I fulfill his dream through the Jake K Foundation. – Jake’s mom
