Kobe's Quiet

11/18/2023

Underwhelmed. That's how I felt seeing a humble Kobe Bryant "memorial" on a trail off Las Virgenes. Whatever I expected, this wasn't it. A small, haphazard collection of things you would expect, a Lakers jersey, a framed photo of Kobe and his daughter Gianna, a basketball and T-shirt. But later, in thinking about it, it came to me that impressing is not the gauge for honoring. It doesn't matter what's on the ground. What matters is the way people feel about someone
and Kobe is loved by millions.

November 2023

January 2024

I've walked this trail for years. I didn't know exactly where the helicopter went down, but on that day hearing about it before seeing any news stories or live coverage, I knew it wasn't far from the trail I was so familiar with. I wondered if there would be anything to mark the site of this tragedy after the frenzy died down. Yes, yes there is, but a random tribute does not a serious memorial make. I am not a viewer of the game of basketball but who doesn’t know Kobe was revered? Wouldn't there be something substantial? A finished and permanent dedication for such an all star of legendary talent and skill?

In hindsight, this modest remembrance might be the very best thing that could have happened. This small makeshift pile of mementos off to the side of a narrow trail is now part of the trail, part of the hill, part of the rolling terrain. Dirt bikers, dog walkers, hikers, know there's a 'memorial' out there somewhere. The ashes of Kobe Bryant and his daughter are out there somewhere. Whirling helicopter blades and the force of the crash blew them in every direction. Somewhere in the area of the marker. Isn't that all we need to know?
I'm one of those who believe that when our time comes our spirit moves to the Astral Plane, we become
part of everything. Kobe and Gigi are part of everything now.

Being random and off at a little distance, it's not an over-touristed destination. It's not Instagram famous, yet. Thank God. My heart sank when I saw what happened to a favorite trail thanks to Insta, litter scattered and rocks covered with spray painted tags. A fragile trail in the hills, still quiet. Mr. Bryant and his daughter have been given the chance to Rest In Peace.