Did I ever tell you about Ben? Ben was my sister's age, younger than me. I saw him each week at church, and he'd say, "Hhhhhhhiiiiiii, Jeeeennnnnnyyyyy," with his nervous, little-boy crush voice. Aww, Ben.
Ben entered the MTC in 2000, only to leave and go back home because he missed his girlfriend, Teresa, who had gotten baptised largely due to Ben's influence. After discussing the matter with said girl, Ben decided to resubmit his papers, which he did, and he received a second mission call. Eight days before flying back to Utah to enter the MTC again, Ben went to visit Teresa and found another male friend at her residence; not a romantic friend, but a male friend nonetheless. Ben was so upset that he took off on his motorcycle and drove, too fast. He rounded a corner on Allen Street and went into a skid before hitting a telephone pole. When the ambulance brought him into the emergency room, he didn't have any ID on him. Luckily, there was a nurse who was at the ER, whose shift had just ended, but who hadn't left yet, who knew him -- my mom. She was able to identify his body and call the bishop, who then called Ben's parents. Ben's death made a huge impact on so many, including my sister, who, following the funeral, moved to Provo in an attempt to make some changes in her life.
Teresa ended up marrying Nathan, a boy who had served part of his mission in our ward.
I only know these things about Teresa from what my mom and my sister have told me; I've never met her, but she and I came from the same town. Her parents live in the same town as my dad. Her mom worked with my mom.
The only other thing I know about Teresa is that on Monday night, she went to dinner at Trolley Square.
To Teresa's family and loved ones: My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
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11 comments:
Last night the phone rang about 10:30p.m. My gut told me it was going to be something bad. My first thoughts were worry over my oldest son, who wasn't home yet.
This time it was about someone else's child: It was Melody. Her very close friend had just called her right after his ex-wife had phoned him from Trolley Square to tell him his 15-year-old daughter had been shot and was dead and that she was shot, too. They had been buying Valentine's cards.
It was brutal and senseless. The senselessness of it was added to as newspapers everywhere gratuitously splashed photos of a young victim's body on their front pages.
I add my thoughts and prayers to yours for all the victims and their families and friends.
I remember you telling me about Ben. To think that Beans was here when this happened is so strange.
A horrible tragedy.
That's just so sad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the victim's families. And the shooters family. :(
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So many senseless tragedies. After it happened, my first thought was "I hope no one I know was involved in this". Between you and Compulsive, it has hit too close to home.
Too close too home is right. So sad.
When I saw it on the news I was floored. I am so sorry for the families of the victims. It could have been anyone I know..that is the scary part (also when they said the bodies were in a card store and in front of PBK's...those are the two stores I would be in if I was at the mall... for some reason that made it seem more real...).
Prayers to the families.
I've felt sad upon hearing or learning of [past] killing sprees in other cities. Even though I'm in Texas, I still consider SLC my backyard and so this whole Trolley Square ordeal has struck a bit harder.
Thanks for sharing your feelings and experience with this event.
wow.
I didn't need this. Not today. Not after my weekend.
Just wanted to let you know that it's been confirmed it was Mel's friend's daughter who was so ruthlessly exploited by the media all this week. If you're even half as outraged about this as I am--particularly because she was a minor and it was so disrespectful to her and so extremely insensitive to her family and friends--please don't hesitate make a phone call or write a letter to the editor and let them know how you feel.
So sad indeed. Small world.
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