Michael Davis died unexpectedly and prematurely. I had just seen him a few months ago when I was in Palo Alto for a meeting. He was sweeping the streets with his crew. We had a warm conversation about how he was doing and the growth of Downtown Streets Team. He was funny, full of life and visibly proud of his work.
I was so happy to have seen him, and felt reassured that he was doing well. He has been one of the people I have met who has lived through the most hardship. Addiction, jail, homelessness for decades. His daily goal for years was to panhandle $38.50 so that his wife could sleep in a motel bed. We met him when his life had turned and he was sharing his gift of that experience with so many others who recently, at his memorial, credited him for saving their lives. He was a bright light for us and for so many.
More than a thousand films after we produced his microdoc, which was one of our first, he still stands out. In his open vulnerability, he made us realize that his life could have been any of ours. He was a poet and a person who somehow was able to find more love than pain in his heart. I am immensely grateful to have had Michael as part of our life at Micro-Documentaries. He reminds me of why we do this work and how one film at a time we can be part of helping people find dignity and lead brighter lives. He also reminds me that we never know when we are going to leave, so we better make sure that we live our days in a meaningful way so that any day can be the right one to go.