My Letter to Tom Petty: Gone Too Soon

3rd of October 2017

Last night, the music world lost an important icon. Tom Petty passed away unexpectedly. Tom Petty has been one of my favorites for a long time. I saw him twice in concert, and I'm glad that I did. He knew how to put on a show. I don't know why I did, but last night, I wrote a letter to him that he'll never get. I'll share it with you: Mr. Tom Petty,

I feel awkward. I don't even know how to address you, but I miss you already. You have had a huge impact on my life with your music. It's hard to put into words how your music has made me think and even rethink aspects of life. Some of your music I never understood, but I still enjoyed it (this sentence was scratched out).

I first saw you in concert when I was in high school. My brother and I saw you up in Ames, Iowa at Hilton Coliseum. The ironic part about the whole thing was we saw Hootie & the Blowfish opening for Big Head Todd & the Monsters (my first concert) a little before that and on the way home, there was some sort of documentary about you playing on the radio. Little did I know at the time, you would be the next concert I see. My brother and I had a great time at the concert, but getting out sucked (as it always does with getting out of Ames). I've tried to keep track of your career over the years, and I can't say that I've done the best. When Wells Fargo Arena opened up for the first time here in Des Moines, Iowa, you were the first act to play it. I didn't make that concert, and I didn't have a chance to try. I was in college at the time, and I didn't have the money. I'm not sure how many times you came back after that because I got lost in the world. I got so wound up in work. However, this year (2017), you came back, and I knew I had to make it a point to be there. You didn't miss a beat. That sounds cliche, but it holds true. I didn't realize that it would be the last time I see you. I had a great time that night with a friend of mine who had never seen you in concert.

Over the years, I've enjoyed your music. When I heard you had your own channel on XM Sirius, I barely change the channel. You opened up a new door for me into the world of music. I thank you for that. I thank you for much more than that. I thank you for sharing your musical gift and human intellect with me and everyone else. I thank you for doing your part in making the world a better place (even if there's still violence, you still tried) and showing compassion for everyone. I will not forget you, and nobody else will either. Thanks for not backing down, and thank you for the memories. There are plenty to choose from. And your music will live on because I will never stop playing it.

Eternal Thanks.