Jake & TJ Mindfreak

 

Sam, Hope, & TJ at Snyder’s Grove 9.6.2009

This photo from Snyder‘s Grove showed up in my Facebook memories today: 

• Sam age 3
• Hope age 14
• Thomas Jacob (TJ)  age 11

Story Time…

In the comments under this picture on my Facebook, there are references to TJ being called Jake.  Back in his Jr High days, TJ changed his name a few times.  When school started in 2009 (6th grade), he decided he didn’t want to go by TJ anymore and wanted to be called Jake. I told him that if that’s what he wanted to start going by,  junior high is a good time to start doing it because none of those teachers knew him yet. 

So for quite a while, TJ signed all of his papers as “Jake” and most of his teachers called him Jake.  When his friends continued to call him TJ, it began to fizzle out until everyone was calling him TJ again.

Sometime between 6-8th grade, he became fascinated with Criss Angel, Mindfreak on TV and began signing all of his school papers as “TJ Mindfreak.” I still have some of his papers from that time…his name proudly written as “TJ Mindfreak”… at the top.  Despite his insistence, no one would call him that. 😂 

A few weeks before he passed, TJ told me that no one at his work places called him TJ. They all knew him as Thomas and that if anyone heard him called TJ, they’d probably say “TJ who?” 

Criss Angel Mindfreak Hoodie from 2021 Vegas trip

He never lost his fascination for Criss Angel. When he went to LasVegas in November 2021, he had the opportunity to catch one of his shows. If you noticed at the visitation that we had a Mindfreak hoodie on display at his Vegas table, then you’ll understand the significance of that now. 

Over the years, we never ever let him forget about “TJ Mindfreak.”  And every time, he owned it as though it were still the absolute coolest name to ever have.

Two of my many favorite things about TJ were that he ALWAYS stayed true to who he was as a person and his brilliant, if not insane at times, creativity and sense of imagination. He had the most amazing mind and the craziest conversations. His brain never stopped thinking up new ideas that almost always started with the words...”but what if (insert next crazy-hair idea here)!”

If you knew TJ, and were ever a part of one of his crazy plans, will you please share it below (or DM me if it’s not suitable for public viewing… as I’m sure many of his ideas weren’t!) 

Tj stories will never ever get old.