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Awesome: 'Sonic Generations-VIDEO of Chemical Plant Zone is greatness embo...' by Triple B
Triple B
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
That Chemical Plant Zone video almost brought a tear to my eye.
(somewhat long story ahead)
My parents divorced when I was 5. From the time I was 6 to around when I was 10 or so (so from about '90 to '94), I lived in Natick, MA with my dad and my grandparents. In '93 my dad had taken steps to beat his alcoholism in an attempt to get his life back on track, and he's succeeded to this day. During this time period when I lived with him, we lived across the street from a kid named Peter. Peter was a few years my senior, and his sister Alli was my age and in my class at school, and as a result I became close friends with him, even though I was always well aware of the possibility that he simply tolerated me so as not to be a dick. Either way, we ended up spending quite a bit of time hanging out together, playing NES like it was going out of style. It was around 1992 when my dad bought me a Sega Genesis (that happened to include pack-ins of Sonic 1 and 2
) and as soon as my friend and I figured out that one of us could control Tails in Sonic 2, no other game ever even saw the light of day until Sonic 3 came out. We'd play the 2-player Vs. mode and when we got sick of it, we'd run through the campaign with me controlling Tails. We would get together every day after school and just play the game until he had to go home for dinner. If there was previously any doubt in my mind about the legitimacy and honesty of Peter's attitude towards me, it completely went away when we began our epic Sonic-inspired friendship. He was Sonic, and I was Tails, and we shared the exact same kind of relationship as those two. I looked up to him and admired him like an older brother. This went on for the better part of two years until Sonic 3 came out, at which point we resumed the process in a game that was by all accounts even better than its predecessor! Man, we had fun. Always aiming to shred those precious milliseconds off our times, laughing at each other when we'd make silly mistakes...
Then in late 1994, my relationship with my dad began to suffer as he began spending more and more time with the woman who would become his second wife, and less and less time with me. My mom became aware of the issues that were going on, and asked me if I wanted to move in with her. I had some good friends that lived in her area, and the idea sounded damn good to me. So it happened. I didn't really get to tell any of my friends why I was leaving, or that I was leaving at all. Within the span of a day, the decision was made and the plan was carried out. I lived with my mom now and all was well enough. This would've been...September of '94. I never saw any of my friends from Natick again, even to this day. At the time, my dad would come and pick me up a couple times a week and I'd spend time with him at my grandparent's house back in Natick. This went on pretty much until I got my driver's license in 2000. Sometime in possibly late '96 or early '97 (can't remember exactly when), it was a typical Sunday and my dad had come to pick me up at my mom's. When I got in his truck he delivered the news that Peter had committed suicide by hanging himself in his parents' basement in Natick.
I've always associated Sonic the Hedgehog with Peter Mitchell. They both account for some of the most special memories of my childhood, and I'm overjoyed to see this Sonic Generations thing developing as well as it is. I will buy the game on day one, and sit up all night playing it for my friend, while celebrating his memory with what will most likely end up being very many alcoholic beverages.
(somewhat long story ahead)
My parents divorced when I was 5. From the time I was 6 to around when I was 10 or so (so from about '90 to '94), I lived in Natick, MA with my dad and my grandparents. In '93 my dad had taken steps to beat his alcoholism in an attempt to get his life back on track, and he's succeeded to this day. During this time period when I lived with him, we lived across the street from a kid named Peter. Peter was a few years my senior, and his sister Alli was my age and in my class at school, and as a result I became close friends with him, even though I was always well aware of the possibility that he simply tolerated me so as not to be a dick. Either way, we ended up spending quite a bit of time hanging out together, playing NES like it was going out of style. It was around 1992 when my dad bought me a Sega Genesis (that happened to include pack-ins of Sonic 1 and 2
) and as soon as my friend and I figured out that one of us could control Tails in Sonic 2, no other game ever even saw the light of day until Sonic 3 came out. We'd play the 2-player Vs. mode and when we got sick of it, we'd run through the campaign with me controlling Tails. We would get together every day after school and just play the game until he had to go home for dinner. If there was previously any doubt in my mind about the legitimacy and honesty of Peter's attitude towards me, it completely went away when we began our epic Sonic-inspired friendship. He was Sonic, and I was Tails, and we shared the exact same kind of relationship as those two. I looked up to him and admired him like an older brother. This went on for the better part of two years until Sonic 3 came out, at which point we resumed the process in a game that was by all accounts even better than its predecessor! Man, we had fun. Always aiming to shred those precious milliseconds off our times, laughing at each other when we'd make silly mistakes...Then in late 1994, my relationship with my dad began to suffer as he began spending more and more time with the woman who would become his second wife, and less and less time with me. My mom became aware of the issues that were going on, and asked me if I wanted to move in with her. I had some good friends that lived in her area, and the idea sounded damn good to me. So it happened. I didn't really get to tell any of my friends why I was leaving, or that I was leaving at all. Within the span of a day, the decision was made and the plan was carried out. I lived with my mom now and all was well enough. This would've been...September of '94. I never saw any of my friends from Natick again, even to this day. At the time, my dad would come and pick me up a couple times a week and I'd spend time with him at my grandparent's house back in Natick. This went on pretty much until I got my driver's license in 2000. Sometime in possibly late '96 or early '97 (can't remember exactly when), it was a typical Sunday and my dad had come to pick me up at my mom's. When I got in his truck he delivered the news that Peter had committed suicide by hanging himself in his parents' basement in Natick.
I've always associated Sonic the Hedgehog with Peter Mitchell. They both account for some of the most special memories of my childhood, and I'm overjoyed to see this Sonic Generations thing developing as well as it is. I will buy the game on day one, and sit up all night playing it for my friend, while celebrating his memory with what will most likely end up being very many alcoholic beverages.
Posts
i've been here almost 7 1/2 years and my first post to be reported for awesome is about my childhood friend killing himself
maybe i should re-think my life
I'm glad you don't hate your friend for killing himself. And it seems you don't blame yourself either; that's excellent.
Well, it was 14 years ago. That's a long time to get over things. Now I just miss him and fully intend to get balls-out shitfaced while playing the new Sonic when it comes out in his honor, because we never got to drink together.
Having dealt with thoughts of and a couple of attempts at suicide I can tell you this much: I never thought about leaving a note explaining things. In my mind I knew that normal people wouldn't understand and any explanation that I'd put down on paper would I have been answered with, "I don't understand. It wasn't that bad." Sometimes is IS that bad. Sometimes knowing that you're worth nothing to most people is the only reason you need to pull the trigger.
It's best not to know why they did it in my opinion; they had their reasons and that's enough for me.
I'm sorry for your loss. Play the shit outta Sonic for your friend.
"Brill," Silk replied blandly, pulling his Murgo robe back on.
"Again?" Belgarath demanded with exasperation. "What was he doing this time?"
"Trying to fly, last time I saw him." Silk smirked.
The old man looked puzzled.
"He wasn't doing it very well," Silk added.
Belgarath shrugged. "Maybe it'll come to him in time."
"He doesn't really have all that much time." Silk glanced out over the edge.
"From far below - terribly far below - there came a faint, muffled crash; then, after several seconds, another. "Does bouncing count?" Silk asked.
Belgarath made a wry face. "Not really."
"Then I'd say he didn't learn in time." Silk said blithely."
— David Eddings (Magician's Gambit)
Nope. Like I said, I never saw any of my friends from that area again. The one time I saw anyone who lived/lives out there since moving away was in January 2006 at my grandmother's funeral. Peter's dad, Roy was there. I'd known the entire family since I was 5 years old. When we met at the funeral, all we did was hug. He told me he was sorry for my loss, and we exchanged the typical pleasantries. "How've you been/it's been a long time/what have you been up to/etc." Not that there's ever an appropriate time to ask an old friend why his son killed himself. No, I'm afraid I'll never really know. Granted, I wanted to ask him about it. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was about Peter. I just didn't think it was the venue. Again, not that there ever is a venue, especially so many years after the fact. I think he knew it was on my mind, though. I'm sure the look on my face when I first saw him told him exactly what I was thinking. Same with his face, really. Some things are best left unspoken, etc, etc.
I am not worthy of the honor, Aids.
I think if I had the chance to talk to Pete again, I'd just tell him how big of a hole he left when he went away. I'd keep the "I'm really fucking mad at you, you selfish git" stuff to myself. Kid was an absolute mainstay in my childhood. My family was his, and his mine. I haven't told anyone about this since pretty much around the time it happened. The new Sonic stuff that's going on really brought the memory into greater relief.
This is a very good post, thanks for sharing 3B.