A sad day

People change. Some for the better. Some for the worse. A long time ago (in a land far away... well not really. It was actually just down the road) my hubby was a lowly EMT (EMT's are not lowly for those of you EMT's reading this). He started out on the Non-emergency vans and they kept him there even though he was good enough at his job to move up to the ambulance when he got his medic licence. They didn't want to lose him where he was, so they said. He was thorough and the patients liked him but the job was holding him back. He was frustrated. But he had an ear to bend. One of the other medics, maybe not the best medic but definitely a support system for him. RM taught him about being a good medic, took him under his wing. RM was there to hear him out, bounce ideas off of, discuss how a call could go differently or how it could be done better or what hubby might do next time. RM was Hubby's rock at work.

You know how things happen. The company got bigger. Something happened and RM left (can't remember if it was free will or not) and he changed. Just not the same. Heard rumors about drugs, both prescription and otherwise. He got a job in the bay. One day he ran a call at Shell Oil Refinery for a Heart Attack. Ended up to be my uncle Jerry. Apparently he was in a very bad heart rhythm. Whatever RM did he saved my uncles life. No matter what he had done in the past I would always hold a place for him in my heart for doing that. Not that he knew he was my uncle but I know we are all connected somehow and that was proof to me.

RM again took a turn for the worse. I heard that he ended up in jail for awhile. Not sure why exactly but it definitely wasn't for being a boy scout. Saw him here and there and he did not look good. I was sad for him, for his kids.

Today in the paper we find that he passed away in jail Sunday morning. Hung himself.

There was a lot of wonderful things that he did in his 42 years and I'm sure that most people don't remember that guy who was a sounding block and a mentor for a young medic. Or was a man who took a little boy under his wing when his family fell apart. We were there for that little boy when RM lost his way. Taht little boy is a man now and I'm sure that he is more well adjusted for the influence of RM in his younger life. I'm sure our love and nurturing helped too but it was definitely RM's hand that gave B that beginning sense of a male role model he needed.

So much has changed in the last 12 years. Today is a sad day.