It's a small world, unfortunately...

[ClosetOtaku]

A couple years ago, I made a post here concerning an elementary-school friend whose death I'd learned about quite incidentally.

Today, yet another tragedy is unfolding in that very part of the world...

After learning of Shannon's death, I'd gone on an Internet search for any information concerning her life. As she'd died in 2001 -- very early in the evolution of blogs, and many generations past in the life cycle of web pages -- I didn't expect to find much. I didn't.

Except for one particular portion of the Web. There was a website run by a fellow by the name of Ben Teague. He was a set design and construction person for a community theater known as the Town and Gown Players, located in Athens, GA. He was an archivist at heart, and maintained an extensive history of the troupe. Shannon, it turns out, was heavily involved in this organization as an actress and a director.

Ben and Shannon were friends, and it seems he had a great deal of respect for her. He chronicled a number of their joint efforts throughout the years. The final relevant entry: "Apart from being a great experience, this show turned out to be my friend Shannon's last one," he wrote concerning the somewhat morosely named show Post Mortem. An accompanying photo is tagged, "The photo above shows the cast, with Shannon at center, as she so often was."

After contacting Shannon's mother, I'd often thought of writing Mr Teague about his memories. He seemed like a self-effacing, amusing individual, full of humorous stories. For the moment, his website is still active, although I expect that to change shortly. I really should have contacted him. I never did. And I think I'll always regret that.

You see, Saturday afternoon a University of Georgia professor is alleged to have walked into a reunion of Town and Gown Players and shot three people. One of them was Ben Teague. He died at the scene.

As it has so often before, the Internet played a supporting role here -- I casually read the story concerning the killings, wondering what might drive a person to commit such a crime, when I came across the locale and sat and stared unbelievingly at the screen for a minute.

So, here is my lesson learned from this episode: reach out. Websites and blogs are friable, but human beings even more so -- in an instant, the blog that is their life, rich in memories and images, can be erased. Shannon on the backseat of a motorcycle, Ben walking out the door of a reunion -- obliterated in the blink of an eye. Reach out and share that blog so that it can become part of yours, and you can pass on the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of shared experiences.

[Mithrandir]

Wow. Just... Wow.

[~darkelfgirl~]

I read this and had to read your past post. This is really heartbreaking.

[Fish and Chips]

Blogs being a product of the moment, I suppose it is frightening to sort through a man's personal thoughts and narrative, haunted by the knowledge he typed none of these knowing when his death would arrive.

I just don't know what to think of this.

[Warrior4Christ]

Wow... that's quite incredible. Very sad.

[Doubleshadow]

Memento mori.

Most of us who post here are young enough to not know that many people who have died who are our age. Death is something that happens to old people or people we barely even know. I have lost friends I went to school with recently, just a few years younger than me, only one was sick, from epilepsy, that her family knew of but couldn't afford to treat. She was 17.

To me, death is not one of those things that happens in movies, or to the sick, or people who deserve it because they live in the wrong part of the world. People die all the time, any time, for any reason. A well documented life might hold more impact for people when they hear of the death, but I think it's sadder that it takes something like a blog for people to care beyond a token "that's so sad" that someone is gone.

[ADXC]

That is really quite sad. Im sorry for you.

@ Double Shadow- Yes, it is a sad thing. Teenagers think they are invincible, but in reality they are not. Anyone can die at any time. Death comes alot of times unexpectedly. The reason men die is because of sin. OFF TOPIC- You may for instance cure a man of some disease, but that does not free him from the bondage of sin. Christ's blood is the only cure for that.

Okay sorry I went out on my soap box and off topic, but I felt I needed to say that.

[Ante Bellum]

Requiescat in pace...
Life is so unpredictable sometimes. However, memories will stand like faithful sentinels, and they will keep watch like divine guardians.
I don't know what to say. How ironic is mortality...