It has been a difficult stretch of unfortunate events. And yet, along the way, I have been able to find some satisfying success. Joe Cheetham died tragically and unexpectedly. And Paul Loughlin took his own life. All within two weeks or so. The confusion began to pile up.

The wave of the start of the school year took over, hardly allowing for a moment to process the news. And five days ago the guy that served me lunch a few times a week this summer died in a nasty crash on I-83. Killed himself and three good friends, two of them brothers.