I Want Another Beer and Way Over His Head
Read a couple of stories the other day that have just stuck right in the middle of my chest and have sort of churned away.
The worst about both stories is that they were true. Real-life murder stories that make you really wonder about how and why people get so lost.
The first was about a father and son in another state. It seemed Dad considered his weekly sacrifices to be worthy of a Sunday out, watching football, and getting blasted. The story went into the dynamics of it all as they spoke of the hard-working man who felt entitled to having some time of his own.
A lot of men get in trouble when they start asking:
"What about my life?"
The family you are tasked to take care of is your life, stupid.
But a compromise was reached.
Dad would go to a bar and drink and watch football. His 19-year-old son would go along and serve as the designated driver. The wife set up the day for him so he could blow off steam.
And it worked out well. Dad drank a dozen beers and had at least ten shots. The first game ended and they watched another. At halftime of the 2nd game, after seeing his father fall from his bar stool the son took control. Despite a huge public display of anger he was able to get Dad into the car and back home.
The fight continued.
Dad shot his son in the chest, killing him instantly. He said something about doing it to show him 'who was in charge.'
That's the sort of story that sticks in your head, right?
Then right here.
About a half-mile from where I'm sitting a Toys 'R Us employee was stabbed to death in the early morning hours.
This week they caught his alleged killer.
They showed a photo of the house where the killer lived.
A beautiful home that he had once shared with his wife and kids.
Now empty.
Nobody's Home.
It appears that the guy was in way over his head. Robbery was the apparent motive. He stabbed another father to death, and then pretended to be all broken up about it.
And the questions that I'm always haunted with when reading about such behavior once again reared its ugly head.
Why?
And it was followed by the other question.
How?
And then I think of those men sitting in a small cell. All they had just...gone. One man shooting his own flesh and blood because he wanted another beer. The other killing someone who happened to be standing in his way.
"Sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world."
The worst about both stories is that they were true. Real-life murder stories that make you really wonder about how and why people get so lost.
The first was about a father and son in another state. It seemed Dad considered his weekly sacrifices to be worthy of a Sunday out, watching football, and getting blasted. The story went into the dynamics of it all as they spoke of the hard-working man who felt entitled to having some time of his own.
A lot of men get in trouble when they start asking:
"What about my life?"
The family you are tasked to take care of is your life, stupid.
But a compromise was reached.
Dad would go to a bar and drink and watch football. His 19-year-old son would go along and serve as the designated driver. The wife set up the day for him so he could blow off steam.
And it worked out well. Dad drank a dozen beers and had at least ten shots. The first game ended and they watched another. At halftime of the 2nd game, after seeing his father fall from his bar stool the son took control. Despite a huge public display of anger he was able to get Dad into the car and back home.
The fight continued.
Dad shot his son in the chest, killing him instantly. He said something about doing it to show him 'who was in charge.'
That's the sort of story that sticks in your head, right?
Then right here.
About a half-mile from where I'm sitting a Toys 'R Us employee was stabbed to death in the early morning hours.
This week they caught his alleged killer.
They showed a photo of the house where the killer lived.
A beautiful home that he had once shared with his wife and kids.
Now empty.
Nobody's Home.
It appears that the guy was in way over his head. Robbery was the apparent motive. He stabbed another father to death, and then pretended to be all broken up about it.
And the questions that I'm always haunted with when reading about such behavior once again reared its ugly head.
Why?
And it was followed by the other question.
How?
And then I think of those men sitting in a small cell. All they had just...gone. One man shooting his own flesh and blood because he wanted another beer. The other killing someone who happened to be standing in his way.
"Sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world."
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