unrelated events

Today this will be about some unrelated events but to me worth noting:

Plenty of Questions

I was reading an online version yesterday of my old newspaper, The Woodlands Villager and found some shocking, devastating news for me.

There it was in big headlines the name of a man I dated a few times after my divorce. He had been arrested for violating parole as a sex offender, a child predator to be exact. The incident he was originally arrested for happened in 2003 while I was in Ohio.

I am shocked, devastated and even ashamed. How could I have not seen this in him? Me, with my background. Me, the staunch advocate of getting sex offenders off the street.

I have thought back to that time and seriously can go back to nothing that would have given me a clue. Maybe, possibly that he had never been married.

He took care of his elderly sick mother and I thought that was so noble. He was educated, had the same job for over 30 years, had been in the military. He was active in his church ( the Catholic Church), which proved to be our undoing because he was so staunch that I should return to my mother church. He was in Knights of Columbus, was active in the community. He had more friends than you could count.

He was recovering from a rare form of cancer and friends chipped in to help him when his insurance was exhausted to help with medical bills. He was fun. He was thoughtful. He didn't hang around children. He played with adults.

The lesson to be learned in this is we always hear you never know who the preadator is. He could be anyone. If I didn't know; if I couldn't figure it out how in the hell would a child be protected from him or others like him? I began dating him on the recommendation of a close friend who had known him for years. I'm sure she didn't know.

I don't know what all the answers are but there are sure plenty of questions.

Prayers Requested

Continue to keep in your prayers the local man from here who is a hostage in Iraq. His family is to be commended for keeping the lowest profile possible in order to insure a potential release. I just don't want him forgotten.

Profound Memorial Day Experience

I received an e-mail from my Navy son after the Memorial Day holiday. He had the most profound experience in NYC. He and some buddies were paying respect to the 9/11 victims and were spotted by a port authority officer. They were asked to participate in a ceremony for a soldier who had been killed in Iraq 10 days earlier. They were honored to do so.

He said it will be the experience that he takes with him from all the experiences in his service to this country. Regardless of one's political beliefs, he says not to forget those who pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Fibroflareup

I have been in a spell of a fibroflareup for a couple of weeks. I hadn't had one this bad this bad for awhile. Bob and I are going through a rough spot and I'm sure that is contibuting.

One Mystery Solved, One to Go

I heard yesterday that since we now know who Deep Throat is ( the Watergate scandal) the only other mystery left from the 70's is who it was that was so vain to Carly Simon! Hope that mystery is solved soon.

Some Final Thoughts

I read Elton John has set the wedding date. I won't be able to attend as I have plans to be Christmas shopping at that time. However, next time I am in Target I will check the Club Wed computer and see what I can send.