This is my favorite thing from the Glassmen
May 9, 2011
A message from Redline Director, Martin Harrison:
May 6th we lost a member of our Redline family. 2011 member, Nate Pernick, passed away at 6:30 am on Friday, and his family and the hospital staff who never left his side said he was peaceful and comfortable until the end. Nate was the victim of a car accident in West Virginia.
Each year when our season ends, we part ways and know that things will never quite be the same. We know that our family will change, spread out and take on new life challenges, and ultimately will grow again. But we never expect to lose those people we’ve spent so much time with.
While we mourn the loss of someone we miss so dearly, that even though his time was much too short, what he did with that time…what all of you did together with that time…was something more special than most are ever able to achieve in many long years.
Nate will always be a member of our family, and I know I speak for everyone when I say that makes me happy. The whole was made better by adding his part, and will forever be stronger because of him. Now we suffer a monumental loss, but the light Nate has given to us, we will have for the rest of our lives.
We will miss you, Nate.It’s still hard for me to believe sometimes that Nate is gone. I really only knew him for about 6 months, but he’s just one of those people that you feel like you’ve known forever. His presence is definitely still felt, but I wish more than anything that he was still here.
Nate was easily one of the most talented performers with whom I’ve ever shared the floor. I remember hearing stories a while back about some crazy kid from Walled Lake who camped out overnight and spent all day tossing; that was him. I remember watching him in “Falling Slowly” and being in awe of that kid. And I remember making friends with him at one of the first Redline practices.
I remember the crazy party we had at his house, and all being hungover at practice the next day (the whole line). I remember being annoyed on occasion, but he was a 19-year-old boy, so that comes with the territory. I remember how happy he was when he told me he’d transferred to State. I remember how silly he was the night of World finals and in the hotel.
I remember telling him and Desmond to have fun at Carolina Crown camp, and him saying he would and he missed me. I remember hearing the next day about the accident, and praying every night for the next week.
I haven’t told many people this, but a few days after the accident, I had a dream that I ran into him. I gave him a huge hug and asked what was going on; he said he was fine. I had to go somewhere else, so we left it at “see you later.” I sometimes wonder if his spirit passed on before his body did, and that was really him (it happened to my mom once). But it could just be wishful thinking.
I know that he’s up there spinning right now, having a blast. I just hope that I really will see him later. Everything Martin said is still true two years later. Miss you, Nater.
