Thursday, October 20, 2011

Rest in Peace, Friend

I am a very happy, easygoing girl. I'm the youngest. That's how we roll.

I try not to take myself or life in general too seriously.

But sometimes I am interrupted in my easygoingness, and it's worth noting, I think.

One day in 1988, after a particularly challenging set of final exams that I was proud of my performance on, I was one of the few remaining students on the University of Rochester campus before the campus shut down for Christmas break. My dad was the king of bargain travel, and frequently purchased tickets for me on odd airlines that cost $19, stopped four times between New York and Texas, and allowed chickens in the aisles.

Okay - the chickens are an exaggeration, but the rest is true.

Anyway, I had some odd travel schedules for this reason, and I really, really enjoyed my beautiful, empty campus when I left after everyone else.

This is what it looked like when I walked into the library.


And this is what it looked like when I walked out.
And my classmate, Eric Coker, and his twin brother, were gone. So were many of our friends from nearby Syracuse University.

I spent the holidays in shock.

I've spent every year since angry about this.

This, not Osama bin Laden, was my introduction to terrorism. A person I knew - a student at my tiny private school - a school with fewer undergrads than there were students at my high school - was killed by Qadaffi. Or however you spell his name.

So today, I hope that Eric's family finds some comfort, if not peace, in knowing that some tiny amount of human justice sits in the scales. I hope they know we all think of their children today, and have them in our prayers.

3 comments:

  1. Wow. I'm really sorry this happened and nobody should have to deal with type of thing. Unfortunately there are way too many evil humans on this planet. People pay for their misdeeds and inhumanity......if not in this life then in the next. Momar is paying and will continue to pay for all eternity. Do I feel bad about the way he died? Nope...what goes around comes around and he got off easy.

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  2. It means more when it hits so close to home doesn't it. It shouldn't but it does for me. Sad but true. What an impacting experience Lydia. Sorry you lost your friend. Hugs. You've heard of Susan Powell, the Utah mom missing for almost two years now with the only person of interest in the case is her husband? I taught her in church. She babysat my babies. I went to her wedding. I miss her and cannot believe someone could do this and live with themselves each day. I think someone killed her. She would not leave her babies. Just sharing.

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  3. My prayers are with you always as you deal with this memory annually.
    You and your creativity give me such pleasure but most of all your compassion for everyone and almost everything in the feline world, except the bugs.

    ReplyDelete

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