Today, I was thinking about "my favorite kid" from the program in Kamloops, as I sometimes have, over the years. I have wondered how he has been and if his struggles ever became easier, and what wonderful things might he be putting that enthusiastic energy into these days. Then, I realized,  I have a wealth of information at my fingers tips (the internet). So I typed in Oliver's name. This site came up and my heart sank. 

Although, it has been 5 + years since Oliver has been gone, to me the news is new and heart breaking. And knowing that grief is never gone, it only changes, I imagine the family still feels this loss, frequently.  

I will always remember Oliver for his intelligence, his humor/quick wit, and his enthusiastic energy....especially his ability to do the over-the-top TV evangelist bit whenever it might be called for....or not called for. It was an honour to have met him. Thank you for sharing him with the world. He will always be rememberd ❤

Here they are...

When Bam & Stevo’s show first came out on MTV (Oliver was around 12 years old), Oliver apparently liked the show & decided to show his enthusiasm for it. On parts of the TV show Bam & Stevo run around in European speedos… DEFINITELY not something Americans dare or have the confidence to do! The other part of their show was doing crazy stunts.

So one day I came over & Oliver runs by me naked save for wearing a speedo. I asked him, “What the hell man?” & he stated that he was Stevo. He then went running around the neighborhood to shock the neighbors.

Later his Mum gets a call that he was launching off the roof of a building into the pool (definitely frowned upon by management) mimicking Stevo in yet another way!

While this may seem out of control, the fact is that I think Oliver had the whole American neighborhood laughing and marveling at what confidence this little kid had in who he was. He brightened up a lot of lives that day.

Oliver always enthusiastically overwhelmed people to get them to laugh. You would try to get him to stop what he was doing in between breaths and your ribs hurting from laughing.

He had a brilliant social intuition when it came to making people laugh, at a very young age.

Oliver was around 12 years old or so and decided that he wanted to go “gangster” and started wearing his pants really low, showing off his boxers. His Mum chastised him several times over this and Oliver just brushed her off. So one day Mum was in the front of her house along with several groups of neighbors who were also in their yards enjoying the nice summer day. Oliver came out with his pants falling off. Mum told him to pull them up. Oliver mocked her. Mum said something to the effect of, “Well, OK. You want to be cool then I’ll be cool too!” She then proceeded to drop her skirt to her knees, her undies in full view, put her hands on her hips & struck a “cool” pose. Oliver always seemed to have the upper hand when I knew him but this move by his Mum completely panicked him! He turned beet red & started grabbing her skirt & trying to yank it back up & his Mum was not allowing him to while telling him she needed to be cool like him. She kept the pose for several minutes while Oliver was racing around completely unsure of what to do. The neighbors and I were in stitches laughing. I don’t think I ever saw Oliver keep his pants low again that year, & certainly never saw him so frazzled!

Recovery

Putting back together the pieces of our lives

Rebuilding our bridges, reconnecting our ties

Clearing away the wreckage of our past

This is not the first time we have done this

We hope it's the last

It's not always easy to undo what you've done

But we will stand and face this, we're not going to run

Away from our problems away from our fears

Away from our demons, our hurts or our tears

We no longer bury t hem under mountains of dope

We have taken a hold of our lives; we learn how to cope

A new way of life is what we all seek

But we know it's not easy, we need to dig deep

Recovering fully we know will take time

Healing our hearts, our bodies, and minds

Fighting this battle one day at a time

Is what it's about in my little rhyme

- Oliver Rooyakkers -

 Addicted

Look behind those troubled blue eyes

Look past the deceit and lies

Look past the hurt and pain

Look past the guilt and shame

Look past his hardened stare

Look underneath the mask he wears

Let him shed his dirty clothes

Let him rest his tired bones

He needs help to calm his scattered mind

His body will slowly heal in time

Take not what you see at first glance

Be willing to give him a second chance

He's only been doing what he knows

The pain he wears, the hurt it shows

He's been lost in the darkness; he can't find his way

Going in circles day after day-to-day

But reach our your hand and hold on to his

Guide him from darkness into the light

Help him shed his baggage and chains

Help him relinquish his worries and strains

For underneath all that there is a good man

But what he needs now is a helping hand

- Oliver Rooyakkers -