Ok, ok, I promised that the last one was the last one I'd write about Shaun. But I was at his memorial yesterday in Santa Monica surrounded by his family, friends, daughter, and loved ones, and I've just got to tell this story.
Just when I think Shaun has moved on to wherever he is, this happened and I have to think he had something to do with it.
The memorial was lovely and loving. Lots of great stories about Shaun and the love in the room was palpable. I have to admit I haven't heard the departed referred to as an asshole repeatedly (by his own family, no less), but it was in a loving and funny way that SS would have approved. He would've fired right back too.
So here's the funny part: the memorial was held in the community room of a condo building in Santa Monica (the Samuels SM Beach compound, so to speak, separate from the Samuels World Headquarters in Sherman Oaks). The front of the room (where the video monitor, speakers, and family spoke from) has a huge round window, probably six feet in diameter, looking north toward the parking lot of the building next door. Shaun's sister, Natalie was reading an email from a friend on the other side of the world, about how Shaun had tripped him in a race in middle school and was profusely apologetic for the injuries sustained (the point of the story being that SS could be an asshole but he would admit when he was wrong and completely own it. This was very true.)
Anyway, as Natalie was speaking, I couldn't help but notice (and I hope others did too, but I looked around and no one seemed to see this) through the window behind Natalie, there is an enormously fat, bald dude in the parking lot. He starts rubbing himself down furiously with copious amount of some kind of white lotion, (presumably sun protection). Like, just going at it. He is evidently very determined not to miss a spot.
In the moment, I had to stifle my laughter. All I could think about was that if Shaun had been there, I would've leaned over to him and said, sotto voce, "check out the fat fucker in the parking lot." Shaun would have looked and we both would have died of silent laughter, tears pouring down out faces from the effort of not laughing out loud to avoid creating a fucking SCENE at a somber memorial (his, as it turns out, unfortunately). The peak absurdity of the moment, with Natalie reading a heartfelt memory. Completely surreal and ridiculous, yet just right. Somehow, I know SS manufactured the entire scene just for me. The memorial was sad (but not in a bad way), but it was also hilarious and Shaun would've gotten a kick out of it. I'm sorry he missed it.
If you don't think that was funny, well, I guess you had to be there. If you DO think it was funny, then you, me and Shaun could've hung out and been good friends.