I once knew someone who was the type of person you'd find at a riot in Tompkins Square Park on Avenue A, burning money or yelling through a megaphone. He was a people person, even if he scared most people away with his huge duct-taped steel-toe boots and stud-encrusted vest covered with band patches. He had a passion for chaos and causing trouble, but was not without reason; he was much more intelligent than he seemed. His family was considered lower-class and they rented a small house not too far from mine. He was known by a majority of the police force in the Middletown Township area. His name was Derrick Van Sojka and he has been one of the most influential people in my life.

       I met him in school and after having accepted his radical appearance, we became good friends. Our conversations grew from casual talk into debates over music, politics, and cultural affairs--both recent and historical. Later on, when he went away to a correctional facility in Viera, Florida, we kept a constant correspondence through letters. He urged me to read Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky and write back my opinions on their ideas and also to further my knowledge of politics. I wrote back asking his views on topics such as Communism, the Bush administration and a number of political theories. He finally returned home with hopes of keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble. However, already a target in the area and lacking stable relations with his father, he could not find the peace he desired. Late in 2007, Derrick moved to Pennsylvania in hopes of starting over, promising to return and visit.

      Unfortunately, he never had the chance to return. Derrick was crossing a road with a broken street light when he was hit by a car; the blow left him in critical condition with the likely chance of brain damage if he survived. On February 1st, 2008 his life support was disconnected. He passed away at the age of nineteen, leaving behind a legacy as if he had lived a lifetime. The impact of his death was felt by each person that had ever encountered him. I had known him for five years, but it felt like I had lost someone I had known my entire life. Since that day, I have eased the shock and pain of his untimely death by remembering that he died with no regrets, as he had always said he would.

      Derrick's influence in my life has made me a stronger and more open-minded person. Since his death, I have done my best to take up any opportunity I can to meet a variety of people, to embrace diversity and to avoid existing within a clique. My friendships have strengthened now that the true value of them has been made clear. I have realized that whether or not our time on earth is predestined, it is vital to make the most of our lives while we can. Above all, I am determined to pursue my desires rather than accept the opinions of others and to live like Derrick: with no regrets.