My friend Mike…
20 something years ago, Gilly, Tag, Bones, and myself...
Today is my friend Mike Tagliavento’s birthday, born to Judy and Jimmy Tagliavento, 37 years ago.
Many of you simply know him as Tag, or Mike Tag, or the enforcer, or one chop, or any one of many nicknames he might have stumbled across… I know him as one of the only other riders I had ever met, 25 years ago in 7th grade spanish class, with Senora Mallen, while we circled bike parts in Mail order ads in BMX Action, and daydreamed about the life we ended up sharing in between then and now.
From Skipping school and pedaling around knocking over trash cans, to helping build FBM into what it is today, from xeroxed zine’s, to magazine covers, Mike has been there with us, and we are proud and stoked to be able to say he is a friend.
Mike and I have been through a good bit together, not just him and I, all of us.. We learned about the world, rode our asses off, fought like brothers, been to jail together, stood alongside each other in bar brawls, and still managed to laugh half way around the globe, all because of some kids bike, and a bond built through a weird quest for the next adventure. It wasn’t always real nice or real pretty, but it’s always been real.
It’s an unfortunate reminder that Mike is still sick, still battling Lymphoma, and toughing out gnarly chemotherapy treatments, and it makes me sad to talk about an ill friend publicly. Fortunately, it’s the public that has helped make a difference, in supporting Tag in this situation, and it matters, the praises, the best wishes, and the stories shared.
To this I say thanks Mike, for being one of the toughest bad ass friends I’ve ever had, Happy Birthday and many more…
Keep fighting the good fight.
2011....
My friend Mike and I, late october 2011
High school, Me, Jay, Tag and Gilly!
Mike , late eighties, early 90's ish, in Ithaca...
Mike about 10 years ago at Bakers acres...
