Harry Manback
Robot Extraordinaire
I didn't know where to put this thread, figured this was the best place. I got some rather disturbing news today that I just can't seem to get off my mind and I thought maybe if I wrote about it, perhaps I would gain some clarity.
When I was a child I had a best friend. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, were in the same classes and we were buds. He was the leader, and I the follower. I thought he was the coolest thing. Around about the age of 9 he witnessed a pretty horrific event. His mother, a sweet a woman whom I adored, was murdered by his step father. This man, then turned the gun on himself and took his own life all while my buddy hid in his upstairs bedroom. The fire dept. had to take him out of the upstairs window because he was so frightened and wouldn't come out. I cried at her funeral, I couldn't imagine the pain and devastation he was going through, especially since we were so young. Years went by and we stayed pretty close right up until we started high school. He started experimenting with drugs and began heading down a path I could no longer follow(not saying I'm an angel, I've done my share) He moved after our sophomore year of high school and we lost touch. I've always wondered about him. He was a brilliant kid and I had no doubt that he would go far and find success in life.
Fast forward to today, my dad came by to join us for Independance Day bbq. Not long before he left he said, "Hey did you hear about so and so? He got arrested a couple weeks ago. They say he killed a guy out in Wyoming." I looked it up and sure enough, there it was. He's being held waiting extradition to face charges. According to the news article I read, he and his girlfriend had left town after losing their jobs and ended up in Wyoming. They met a guy willing to help them at a campsite, and my old friend decided it was a good idea to rob him. He beat the benevolent man with a hammer and drowned him in a nearby lake. The take on the robbery got him about $34. I was floored and still am.
Maybe this is one of those things that you think doesn't happen to/by people you know. I spent most of the evening looking at my wife and two beautiful children thanking my lucky stars for them. It even crossed my mind that I should be grateful for my job (gasp). It hasn't left me in a position where I felt like I needed to take from others to get by. My thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family as well my old friend. He's gonna need them where he's going.
When I was a child I had a best friend. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, were in the same classes and we were buds. He was the leader, and I the follower. I thought he was the coolest thing. Around about the age of 9 he witnessed a pretty horrific event. His mother, a sweet a woman whom I adored, was murdered by his step father. This man, then turned the gun on himself and took his own life all while my buddy hid in his upstairs bedroom. The fire dept. had to take him out of the upstairs window because he was so frightened and wouldn't come out. I cried at her funeral, I couldn't imagine the pain and devastation he was going through, especially since we were so young. Years went by and we stayed pretty close right up until we started high school. He started experimenting with drugs and began heading down a path I could no longer follow(not saying I'm an angel, I've done my share) He moved after our sophomore year of high school and we lost touch. I've always wondered about him. He was a brilliant kid and I had no doubt that he would go far and find success in life.
Fast forward to today, my dad came by to join us for Independance Day bbq. Not long before he left he said, "Hey did you hear about so and so? He got arrested a couple weeks ago. They say he killed a guy out in Wyoming." I looked it up and sure enough, there it was. He's being held waiting extradition to face charges. According to the news article I read, he and his girlfriend had left town after losing their jobs and ended up in Wyoming. They met a guy willing to help them at a campsite, and my old friend decided it was a good idea to rob him. He beat the benevolent man with a hammer and drowned him in a nearby lake. The take on the robbery got him about $34. I was floored and still am.
Maybe this is one of those things that you think doesn't happen to/by people you know. I spent most of the evening looking at my wife and two beautiful children thanking my lucky stars for them. It even crossed my mind that I should be grateful for my job (gasp). It hasn't left me in a position where I felt like I needed to take from others to get by. My thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family as well my old friend. He's gonna need them where he's going.