Dave Portnoy

Dealing with that, you know, going back to the wake with the brothers and my mom and hearing stories where you find out that, oh, the message maybe was a little different than the messenger, which I was quickly able to forgive because I understood that to just be a reality.

But yeah.

The loss, just keep living.

My phrase came from that because I remember when I went back to work six days later, I was on the set of Days Confused, my very first film.

And I was talking with the director, Richard Linklater, at Magic Hour Sundown.

We were walking around this football stadium.

I was like, you know, he's physically no longer here, but spiritually, I think I can keep calling him.

I can talk to him whenever I want.

I can pick up the phone.

Got to keep the spirit alive.

And that's where Just Keep Living came from.

Added on top of that,

Look, I was scared because he left, my crutch was gone.

He was, to me, what was above the law, above government, above religion.

Boy, if I was in a pension, really need someone to have my back, that was gonna be my dad.

And now that crutch is gone.

Now that parachute's gone.

And so I quickly was like, okay,

boy, talking to myself, better quit acting like the things your dad taught you to do and be and start becoming the man that he taught you to be.

And that's been a process that I got kickstarted in right then, very hardcore, but I've tried to maintain throughout my life.