I knew someone by the same name growing up...


growing up I knew someone with the same name as this man
it was sort of a tragic tale

growing up he was a bit of a neighborhood bully
more of a threat than actual action
but the mental trama may have been worse than a one time physical experience

it was the standard snowball fight face rub stuff
not much more
but in a child's world it was enough
he was someone to be avoided

when I arrived in high school things were not much different
he was a bit of a bully
he was someone to be avoided
in a playful senior to freshman sort of way he would hold me in gym class while a group of other upper classmen would hit me
not black eye and bruises punches
more playful
but it was all very humiliating
again more psychological than physical

towards the end of his senior year he seemed to have a change of heart
the old game of holding me down while others hit me was no longer being played
the incident of him rubbing gum in my hair was a one time thing
he seemed to be an alright guy
well... alright enough that I did not feel as if I had to avoid him

shortly after high school graduation he was coming back from ocean city with some of his friends
there was an accident
I do not recall the specifics
he and the others in the car were DOA

victim of his bullying or not it was all very sad
it was a guy from the neighborhood
a guy my age's older brother
someone I knew

that guy had the same name as the guy in this picture
when I see this guy pulling his bob trailer I sometimes think of this other man and the life he never got to finish