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| Dustin Friedland and his Wife Internet Photo |
THE UGLY:
You know, it would be so nice if agony would take some time off during the holidays and allow for ecstasy alone to be afforded all. But it just doesn't work that way, does it? One of the worst cases in point has to be the murder at the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey. The car wasn't enough? Sure, there are scores and scores of crimes-per-day to feel for. But this one just seems to illustrate inhuman callousness beyond belief. So, I hold warm thoughts for Dustin Friedland's family, left to muster up what they can of lives utterly shattered by abominable cruelty.
THE BAD:
When the Friedland's story broke, I was instantly reminded of a close encounter of a somewhat similar nature that we once experienced, also at Christmastime. We were at Jersey's nearby Newark Airport, meeting Christian upon his arrival home from a college semester spent in London. C is forty now, so you can do the math. We were a group of six that included C's roommate and his parents, as together we happily headed to the parking lot. Moods quickly changed when we found our car's rear tires had been slashed. Throughout the ordeal, our friends stayed with us. I noticed an old car with two bad-looking dudes circling around the lot. It freaked me out… they were clearly the culprits, but the police had not yet arrived to take action. We'd been set up for theft… or worse. I shudder.
THE GOOD:
With one spare tire, what to do without waiting for a tow? A similar SUV was parked next to ours and its owner was kind enough to spare his spare. We borrowed it for the trip home, with the promise to ship it back to him the very next day. What an amazing person. Just suppose he needed it himself for replacing a flat, etc. Human nature at its best.
THE HOPE:
An incredible study in contrasts here, wouldn't you agree? I guess we can only hope and pray for good to prevail.
This is dedicated to the Family of Dustin Friedland.
