Just a whine, for a friend

[KBCraig]

One of my younger fraternity brothers (he came along a few years after me, but we've met at reunions) posted yesterday that his oldest son had died.

Turns out the son, age 19, was distraught over a failed relationship. He walked up to a convenience store, doused himself in gasoline from the pump, and struck a match. The store clerk was quick with the extinguisher, but the young man was too seriously burned; he died the next day.

None of you know this young man or his family, but I've been talking to the family and friends and I just needed to vent about it.

Damn. DAMN IT! I feel lucky that any issues with my sons pale in comparison.

C.A. and Mechele, you know you have our prayers. You're not responsible for his decisions. It's not your fault.

I love you, brother. Peace be with you.

[AntonLee]

very sorry to hear this.  I met a man in the loonybin/rehab that also had doused himself in gasoline due to his wife cheating on him.  He had been a part of AA and his wife felt that he loved his 'sobriety' more than he loved her and she wanted a divorce.  The guy turned me onto AA and taught me the serenity prayer.

If he had not done so, I may have never joined AA, might have still been a fucking drunk and might be dead now.  (I know, there's a large amount of liberty people quick to dismiss AA as a cult that does nothing. . . for me, it helped me stop drinking for 7 years now. . .call it whatever you want to).

I can't think of a worse way to go out of this world.  I always tried driving into things or off of things.  I met a lot of people who were locked up with me because of their significant others leaving them, cheating on them, or dismissing them.  One guy was a pretty well known rock star who I got a chance to help realize that if it were to work, it would and if not he would find someone better.  He did.  Another poor guy turned to heroin and was in detox with me.  Unfortunately he, too, ended up taking his life by way of self combustion.

very sad whenever I hear these stories.  Makes me wish it were possible to be a suicide counselor to help stop these things before they happen.  If anyone ever feels that someone is on the verge of going through with a suicide or is utterly hopeless please don't hesitate to have them contact me.  I feel many suicide prevention counselors are bookworms and haven't gone through the feelings many people close to suicide have felt.  I resented thsoe people as not understanding me, how could they?

Sorry for another loss in your life Kevin.  So even more sorry for this young man.  I can't think of worse circumstances.

[Tom Sawyer]

Wish there was a "Ghost of Christmas Future" to show a person the people that loved and cared about them that show up at the funeral...

We lost a good friend and to see the 250 people that cried for him at the funeral... that love, if he had known it, could have saved him.