I met Tony at a 12 step meeting in Canton on a Saturday morning decades ago. He was fresh out of prison- still wearing the white tshirt and jeans with the elastic waistband. The secretary asked if anyone had a burning desire to share and he stood up and introduced himself. He briefly said he was fresh out of prison and needed support and phone numbers. Of course all the sick women in the meeting ran up to him after the Lord’s Prayer. I had a boat load of sobriety at the time and just watched from across the room, thoroughly amused. He made his way over and I told him he wasn’t going to stay sober doing that kinda stuff. You can’t shit where you eat. He laughed at me and after a few months of acting the fool, he came around. Our paths would cross when one of us needed it. He got serious about his recovery and was rewarded with Zinnia. He helped me through the incarceration of my son. He tried to help my husband who became a chronic relapser and crack head. We’d meet at the gym or for lunch and he’d share his latest funny stories and videos about his second
love- Kaila. My life is richer for having met him.

I met Tony in 2005. I was being discharged from a detox and needed to find a halfway house that would take me on methadone and with no money or job.Someone gave me Tony's number and after asking what I did for work was like, sure come on up when you get out. At that point I still thought I could straighten out on my own ideas so I did the bare minimum to be allowed to live there.Tony gave me a place to live at Changing Directions, a job with the adjoining construction company CD Construction, and helped me get a car. After 6 months I moved in with a girl in Hagerstown I started dating. I quickly was back to my old habits. For about a year, every once in a while, I'd call Tony up and ask if I could come back if I wanted.He was always like, sure thing. By the end of March of 2007 my life was an utter mess and I was complete depressed and hopeless. I was ready to give this program a real try. On April 1st I packed a bag and left my girlfriend's mom's efficiency apartment all 3 of us were living in.I called Tony again and said I was coming back.I worked out a bus ticket back to Baltimore and showed up.I say all that because my life took the course it did because Tony was who he was. Back at Changing Directions again Tony and I had many conversations.For the first time I saw someone who was really like me but was living a better life. This is what changed everything and why I'm not dead or in prison right now. He was my landlord, my boss, a mentor and a good friend that would become a brother over the next couple of years.I stayed there for a year and a half.By 6 months I was helping run both companies for him as well as doing some bookkeeping for his food truck.When I met a good woman and got married Tony was there and I danced with a toddler Kaila. I spent many good times at Tonay and Zinnia's home, and they came to mine. Even after leaving Changing Directions, I worked with Tony on many projects over the years. For the last several years we were both in the motorcycle club world together and while we never wore the same patch it was yet another part of our lives we could share and relate to each other.Tony was the one who came to help the first time I wrecked a bike. I appreciate the miles we rode together. He was part of my life for almost two decades and I considered him family for better than 15 of that. It would be impossible to convey everything in a short message or how much he and Zinnia mean to me. I can say that even though it's been a short time I already miss him greatly.There have already been times where I wanted to call him up or stop by and talk to him about something in life. He was a great story teller.In the early days of our friendship, I thought he was lying about most of his stories but enough of it was verified over the years that I came to believe them all, mostly.I don’t think there will ever be another quite like Tony Harrison.

When I was 20-21 years old, I worked at a bar in Baltimore.  I was an alcoholic, a heroin addict and a coke head all wrapped into one. I was completely lost. Tony, who was friends with my boss, would come in sometimes and rent a room to play poker.  I knew of him at this point but didn't know him...

I used to get off work at around 3 am every morning and take a cab to my dope dealer's house (let's call him "D") in West Baltimore, jump the fence in the back alley and beat on the kitchen window until he woke up to serve me.  I'd jump back in the cab and be on my way.  Once I came in the daytime and Tony was there.  Turns out, he owned the house that D lived in.  What's even better... it was a halfway house.  

D had gone through Tony's recovery housing program, and Tony had let him rent the apartment on the first floor so that he could get his daughter back.  So, now Tony was stuck in this rental agreement and wasn't happy that he couldn't kick the guy out who was selling heroin in the same building as his recovery house.  He had exchanged some words with me that day. Now, you might not be able to picture this in Tony, but those words were a little brash.  He obviously knew what I was there for.

Fast forward several months and I had hit rock bottom.  As a result, my boss called Tony to see if he could help me, then put me on the couch on the 2nd floor of his bar.  Knowing that I was probably going to be taken to rehab, I decided to do the responsible thing - I called D to bring me some dope, downed a bottle of wine and drank all the vodka I possibly could.  I was already going through heroin withdrawal and was hurting pretty bad.  Meanwhile, I passed out waiting.

Finally, I wake up to D coming in to take care of me and Tony walks in about 20 seconds behind him.  Worst timing ever.  Long story short, I didn't get my dope and this guy Tony was taking me to Johns Hopkins.

He had lots of witty things to say on the way to detox and I started to realize what a character he was.  He was sure to point out that I had pissed myself drunk while I was crashed on the couch waiting for him, something I didn't even realize until he brought it up. Even as wasted as I was, I was still embarrassed. I can't believe he even let me in his car, to be honest.  BUT, he did.  While he had lots of slick stuff to say about it, he didn't make me feel less than a human for the position I was in. 

After detox and rehab, I ended up in Tony's recovery house 4 doors down from the address I used to buy dope from.  Fortunately, Tony was able to convince D to move on by then.  This started a 20-year friendship with one of the most significant figures in my entire life. 

I didn't stay sober that time around, or the next time or even the time after that. But Tony had taught me a lot and he was always there when I was ready to try again.

When I finally did sober up for the last time, Tony gave me a job at a restaurant and bar he now owned.  Coincidentally, it was the same bar he had pulled me out of 8 years prior. I soon became his General Manager and then a business partner in a couple of ventures following.

Looking back now at that day when Tony picked me off of that couch, I could have never imagined the impact he would have on my life moving forward. In the end, Tony had played several roles in my life during our friendship, and I, in turn, played several roles in his.  Whatever the case, one thing was constant - no matter what I did, whatever mistakes I made or whatever problems I had - Tony was there.  He was a best friend to me, even when I fell short as a friend to him.  

He never let me forget the day he picked me off of that couch, and loved to tell me about how I soaked his car seat in piss. We would still argue over the details, but he had it mostly right (but, don't tell HIM I said that).  And to be honest, I still haven't gotten over the fact that if he had just arrived 5 minutes later I could have copped my dope that day. 

Tony, I love you man and I'm really going to fucking miss you.