Thoughts from a fan

I don't know quite how to start this post. This past week has been really long for my family. We have suffered a loss in our family and we have been hiding from most of the world. It has been strange because I haven't wanted to talk to anyone about it. We have received all of these kind phone calls and visits from friends and loved ones and I have just been wanting everyone to get the hell away from me and leave me alone. Yesterday evening, I received a call from my brother and he informed me of the death of WWE Superstar Eddie Gurrero. It was surreal to hear that somewhere else at this moment, there is someone else in the world that is experiencing grief.

Just in case you are a fan or you are just curious to know, Eddie was found yesterday (Sunday) morning dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis. The cause of his death is unknown. More information and thoughts about Eddie can be found at http://www.wwe.com

I don't have anything special to say about Eddie Gurrero, other than that he was an awesome wrestler and had an amazing ring presence. Mostly, I just want to say that I was a fan. I also wanted to take the moment to say that it amazed me to see other wrestlers talk about their personal relationships with Gurrero, rather than talking about him as a wrestler. Being in a similar situation right now, I have a deep respect for people who could face millions of fans and express deeply personal emotions. I know it has been hard for me to face even a few people and for these men and women to face the public less than 24 hours after his death and continue to perform and speak seems deeply commendable to me and I just thought I would throw out the love.

Part of my heart says that I have to close by saying this: if you haven't experienced professional wrestling, I don't expect you to do so now. I also don't expect anyone to all of the sudden have some kind of profound respect for the event. Either you get it and you love it or you don't. I feel fortunate to be a fan. I have found that this too, like the other loves of my life, come in these tight community packages, where even though I am one in a million people that loves this, I have no doubt that any other fan of this activity wouldn't understand exactly how I feel at this moment. Ultimately, I am no one special. But yet, the bonds that grief creates seem to blend us all together as a community, as supporters, as fans. Rest in peace, Eddie.