Finding Each Other
Justin Ayers and I met in the youth choir at Northside Baptist church during the summer of 1997.
It was prayer week at our church and our youth group had gathered to share personal requests.
I begin, “My grandma-who is sick, I want to make good grades, and my friend who doesn’t believe in God,” I said. Our pastor went on to the next student when I blurted out, “Oh wait! I forgot to mention my cat Cuddles.” As the fifty plus teens looked at me like I was nuts, I heard a snicker. “What the heck,” I thought, “who is mocking me?”
I whipped my head around in disgust. Quite to my surprise, it was Justin Ayers, the funniest guy in our youth group. Did he think I was funny?
Before I could say another word, the room erupted in laughter. Justin seemed to have that effect on people and, in that moment, I went from being mortified to feeling pretty damn cool!
Justin Ayers was truly one of a kind. On the day he was born, his grandma Ruby said his hair created an orange halo that resembled an angel.
His witty sense of humor could bring you to tears and his incredible talent on the guitar was inspiring. At the ripe age of sixteen, he could already play the guitar better than most men who where twice his age.
Justin was the essence of cool and people seemed to stay close, hoping some of his coolness might rub off on them; I followed.
That summer our youth group was set to embark upon a choir tour in Nashville Tennessee. I made it my goal to be Justin’s girlfriend by the time we returned. I did what most teenage girls do: I picked on him, flirted with him, and even forced my way next to him on the church bus.
But, I was getting nowhere and starting to wonder if I wasn’t quite his type.
“Maybe he likes guys?” I asked my friend Emily.
“Brian would know if that were true,” she said giggling, “I think he’s just shy.”
Emily Stockdale was our youth pastor’s daughter and she was dating Justin’s best friend, Brian Woodall. Brian and Emily were a classic 90’s carbon copy of Topanga and Cory from Boy Meets World; only Brian was a little bit chubbier.
They wanted to set the two of us up so we could all hang out together and become best friends. I finally got my opportunity in Nashville when we were told we had a free day at Opryland USA. I was ready to make my move!!!!!!!!
Come back tomorrow for Part Two
I’d like to take a moment to bid a proper farewell to a spot that holds a special place in my heart. Over the years, it has meant many different things to many different people. For the locals, employees, and seasonal residents, it’s referred to as “The Dirty Bird”. But most will remember it by it’s surname: Toucans.
After Justin died in 2014, I couldn’t bring myself to go back. The staff reached out to me multiple times but I could never get up the nerve to stop in. It was like I believed that somewhere in that building we were both still happy, and playing music together. When you lose somebody, over time you continue to lose different pieces of them. Toucans is another piece of Justin, our life, and our music that is now lost. Washed away by Hurricane Michael with the rest of Mexico Beach. Mexico Beach was often referred to as “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” because it was the one place that managed to escape the draw of “The Franchise” and managed to remain authentic to it’s natural beauty. There weren’t any McDonalds or Walmarts to junk it up. It was as pure and as local as it got. 
