My name is Eric Higgins. I am a long-time close friend of the one and only T-Mo Watson. I have seen and read every bit of your very cool memorial blog dedicated to his memory. I tried to post my own thoughts last night, but could not figure out how to do it properly. Then my good friend Jason Cohen sent me the link which I am using now to E-mail you this very message.
I live in Florida now, so unfortunately I cannot attend his memorial service tomorrow. Therefore it is crucial to me to express just a few of my fond memories on your very cool website. If possible, I would like for you to put up the following message on my behalf, if you would be so very kind:
QUOTE= Eric Higgins:
"I met T-Mo when he and I were both eight years old. It was about 1975 or so, and the movie "JAWS" had recently come out. Consequently, sharks both fascinated and scared me. The Watson family lived next door to my aunt / baby-sitter's house on a street near Walnut Hill and Royal Lane. One day I was playing out in my aunt's front yard, and I saw this kid in the next yard over. He was wearing a shirt with a shark on it and it read "THE SHARKS". Well I thought that was about the coolest thing I had ever seen, so I called out to this kid: "Hey, that's a neat shirt! I really like sharks too!" He replied something like "Yeah, sharks are cool... This shirt is from the soccer team I play on"... Thusly did T-Mo and myself commence to strike up a fast friendship, playing and doing all kinds of crazy 8-year-old stuff every afternoon.
Eventually my family and I moved to Farmer's branch, and I had to say good-bye to my good friend T-Mo for the first time. But ten years later, in the year 1985, at the Greenville Ave. St. Patrick's Day Parade, we re-acquainted. There was a whole contingent of us wild and crazy skate-punks who unofficially "joined" the Parade, skating down Greenville and perpetrating all kinds of fun and craziness. I saw one cool dude who stood out as looking VERY familiar and so I started talking to him: "What's your name, bro? Is it Tim?"
He said "Yeah, but my friends all call me 'T-Mo...'"
I said "YEAH!!! You ARE T-MO!!! I remember you!!!" He likewise remembered me and thusly the T-Mo and Eric friendship was re-kindled. We remained very close for many years.
T-Mo was one of THE absolute coolest, kindest, most giving, most caring individuals that I have ever in my life had the joyous pleasure to meet, let alone be super-tight friends with...
He was so giving that once he just GAVE me a skateboard-- a big ol' deck, tricked-out with Indy trucks, RollerBall wheels, 'Big Fat Tires And EVERYTHANG'-- The ultimate hook-up, when he learned that my own board had been stolen... He took care of my "skate needs" then.
And when I was unemployed in 1988, he not only went out of his way to help me to obtain a good job at the warehouse in Garland where he worked, but also (I had no automobile at the time) faithfully came to pick me up in his pick-up truck every morning, and bring me back home every afternoon... Going well out of his way to do so... We had a lot of fun "working" together then...
That was but yet ANOTHER "hook-up" straight from the well-spring of kindness that always flowed from his incredibly generous heart.
Nobody who ever met T-Mo could possibly have ANYTHING but good things to say about him... NOBODY did not NOT like T-Mo... Even the mean, malignant, hateful and racist skinheads that plagued our cool scene back then-- EVEN the skinheads, who hated EVERYBODY, liked T-Mo. THAT fact in itself says A LOT...
One of the best things that I always admired about T-Mo was that he was such a "NO BULLSH*T" type of guy. He would not hold back-- He would tell you THE TRUTH, whether or not you wanted to hear it. He NEVER sugar-coated or watered-down his truly valid feelings / opinions about any particular subject.
I often told him that this factor was among the MANY qualities of his that I most admired.
I still remember the time that T-Mo and me watched THE BEATLES "Yellow Submarine" at my Mom's house in Farmer's Branch one night... The many good times that we shared at Whip & Dip and the Clown Ramp... All of the cool punk-rock shows we saw and heard together at The TWILITE ROOM / CIRCLE A RANCH and THEATRE GALLERY...
What else can I possibly say? I will NEVER EVER FORGET Brother T-MO and the many wild and crazy adventures and shenanigans that we once did share.
T-Mo was absolutely FULL of LOVE, and he selflessly shared that very special T-Mo LOVE with everyone that befriended him...
In mathematic terms, if you gave unto T-Mo "one" you would get back in return "one THOUSAND", and that is a PRUDENT analogy.
T-Mo was certainly among the best of THE VERY BEST.
He was one of a kind, he was ultimately kind, he was kindness incarnated... He DEFINED "KIND".
GOD BLESS TIM WATSON
Posted with LOVE by Eric Higgins"
Please, Brother Matthew, post my sentiments on your "T-Mories" memorial blog... Like I said, I cannot travel to Dallas for the "in-person" service, and so it would mean a GREAT deal to me for you to put my sentiments of love and fondness out there for his friends and family to read.
Thank you so very much, my brother, and God bless you for the work you are doing on T-Mo's behalf.
PEACE & LOVE
-- Eric Higgins
941-713-4833
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