Twitch

We began watching “So You Think You Can Dance” several years ago. It was possibly the only thing we watched on Fox Cable. We were instantly captivated by the grace and athleticism of both classical and contemporary dance. We had not been exposed to this artform much, and rarely pursued it. But one day, we watched SYTYCD and were hooked.

The program allowed inventive dance moves to happen. The audience was pulled into the emotional vortex of motion and music. Stories were told. Art forms were stretched. And of course, personalities were ever so present.

One of those was Twitch. Ebullient. Athletic moves impossible to imagine how he did them. A smile a yard wide, a countenance of care and love. This was a man who radiated peace and goodwill. He laughed easily and encouraged others to do the same.

Around the same time of SYTYCD, we began watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show. When Twitch appeared on the show along with some of the SYTYCD dancers, we were pleased. To our pleasure Twitch became a fixture on Ellen’s show. He added dimension to the program. Dance became more a thing.

When his death was announced we gasped. Here was a person that meant much more to us than we had thought. With Ellen’s Show off the air, we were prepared to see less of Twitch, but now the loss is total.

The fact that his death was by suicide has had special impact on us. Suddenly Twitch is all over social media, proving he was broadly appreciated in entertainment circles and the public. We are not alone in appreciating him and all he represents.

Of course, suicide prevention is highlighted as a result. We get it. We value efforts to help others in the throes of darkness. Those struggles are more common than we all let on. They affect us and our loved ones. The struggles do pass but are doomed to return many times. Suicide prevention becomes a process of survival exercised over and over again.

Looking out for the self is one thing. Guarding our loved ones is another. Allowing our reach to others is an important aspect we downplay. We ought not. Rather, we need to step up and touch those who are in the fight for their life. Losing just one of them alters our life.

Twitch taught us that. May he rest in peace and love. May we prove worthy of the price he paid to raise our awareness to help others. And ourselves.

December 21, 2022

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