Nathan Poznick

I received a message from a high school friend today. He told me that another HS friend of ours, Nathan Poznick, died yesterday.

I have been so sad ever since I read his note.

I met Nathan when I was in the 7th grade. Nathan went to the same Middle School as I did (obviously, there was only one middle school) and we were in the same youth group at church.

Nathan and I were never in the same social circles but he was someone I spent time with. We were in the same Sunday school classes at church. We went on the same mission trips, did the same Work Camps, went to the same youth group activities.

Nathan was always one of the quirky smart kids. He was in QUEST in middle school (for you non-Kangaroos...gifted and talented) and always in the advanced classes in high school. Because I was "medium" smart, I was in some of the same classes as Nathan in high school. I remember him helping me in Chemistry. He was so nice to me.

You know how when you're in high school and you fall into certain cliques? How you really, really want to hang out with the popular crowd or you want everyone to know who you are and like you? Well, that was me. I really wanted to be a part of a certain group and have people know my name (and it didn't hurt causes that my name was unique). I guess I succeeded because I was pleased with my group of friends, where my locker was, who I ate lunch with, what activities I was invited to, what group I went to prom with, etc.

Nathan wasn't apart of the "elite" group I thought I HAD to associate with. He had his own set of friends and his own group of people to go to lunch/parties/proms with. As far as I knew, he was perfectly happy with his own "elite" group.

But we were both a part of our youth group and developed a different kind of friendship because of our place in it. Really, looking back, we weren't all that different from each other. Just two awkward teens trying to make friends and fit into certain groups.

I don't know where Nathan graduated in our class, but I'm sure it was several (hundred) above me. He probably could have gone just about anywhere for college, but he chose Harding.

I remember being SHOCKED when I heard that he had chosen to go to Harding. Not shocked when he chose Computer Science as his major.

He was so smart.

We didn't see very much of each other while we were at Harding. Again, our circle of friends were quite different.

But we did always see each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. In the car.

We rode the 7 hours from Weatherford to Searcy/Searcy to Weatherford together for 3 years.

One of the last times we made the journey really sticks out in my mind. It was December of 1997. Matthew was graduating from college and I wanted to stick around and watch it.

Nathan was counting on me for a ride home so he stuck around, longer than he had to, and waited on me to watch this guy that I had a crush on walk across the stage.

The night before Matthew graduated, we (me and Matthew) had stayed up very, very late talking (or something like that) and so I was EXHAUSTED. Nathan volunteered to drive so I could sleep. That was nice.

Except his almost ran off the road. Not so nice.

Amazingly, I fell right back to sleep and managed to sleep the majority of the way home. He never complained about driving.

I'm sure he was just glad that crazy girl wasn't driving.

Oh, and he always brought his Venus Fly Trap with him when we traveled.

And he always paid for the gas.

Our final year at Harding he had a car and didn't depend on me for rides anymore. Which worked out well because I had a new travel buddy, my sister.

I'm sad today that my last memory of him was from 11 years ago.

Nathan was always very tolerant of me. I'm sure I drove him crazy with my drama and girly ways. I told Matthew this morning that it seems Nathan would always look at me and I imagined he was thinking, "Oh, Dallas, you're kooky, but I'll tolerate you anyway because I think you're a nice gal."

Nathan, I know you will be missed by many, many people. I know your mom, dad, and sisters are mourning your loss right now. I am so thankful that I knew you and was considered a friend by you. I enjoyed our drives. And I know more about Venus Fly Traps than most people, thanks to you.