Kristin's Fault!
Sorry Kristin but you got me thinking about if I've come into contact with anyone truly evil in my lifetime. I came up with only one person.
When I was 24 I had a boyfriend who was 22. I met him on Halloween at Spinakers on Shilshole Bay. I was a Grecian Goddess he was a Cowboy. He was big, cute and played shortstop for the Husky Baseball team. It turned out he lived on a few short miles from an apartment I shared with a roommate by Juanita bay. I was smitten. It really didn't last all that long, barely a blip in my life except for one lastly thing he left me...a cataract on my left eye.
When I look out straight ahead it's kind of like looking through a frosted shower door. I didn't even know this had been the lasting effect of this person until a couple years later when my eye doctor asked me if I had ever been hit in the eye. I said "of course not" but then it hit me (scuse the pun) I had.
It snowed a lot the winter of 1992, late too at the end of March. This person came trudging through the snow to see me. I was thrilled. We had a nice evening and then he proposed something I wasn't so thrilled to comply with....I refused, he tried to insist, I refused and ordered him out of my house. So he hit me hard in the face. I had never been hit before and have never been hit since. It was painful and shocking. I marched to the front door, threw it open and screamed for my next door neighbor who gallantly ran out in his underwear. The man left, trudging back through the snow. He called several times but I never spoke to him again.
I was mad but brushed it off like you do when you are very young. Now I would report it then I did nothing.
About two years later I was watching the TV on my couch and a teaser for the evening news popped up with his picture. I stayed up late to watch to see what he had done. It turns out he murdered someone who had been molesting him since he was fourteen. (If you know who this is please don't name him in the comments section) The trial started which I followed closely. It turned out this man had a position of trust in this boy's life and abused it terribly. Despite my anger at what he had done to me I felt great compassion for the poor child he once was. I called his parents and offered my condolences. I think he did go to jail but it was found that this man had documented what he had done to this poor long ago child and he was granted some leniency. I heard he got help with his anger issues.
So even though he hurt me I wished that I had said something when it all happened. Maybe it's very self-centered to believe I may have changed what ended up happening. I think this person needed help and I'm sorry now I didn't do something.
5 comments:
Wow interesting story. I can't believe you went through that, and then later learned his past! Maybe he wasn't truly evil, he had just been abused so much it changed his psyche. I feel so lucky to have had a good childhood, with no major scarring events like that.
I just can't believe that some allow that to happen to them over and over again. Once was plenty for me thank you.
...and no I don't think he was truly evil, just badly damaged.
WOW. I didn't know this. I know the story, but had no idea of your connection. Incredible.
You shouldn't feel any guilt...I think we all have brushes with 'evil' and we may not know it until years later (or ever).
We do what we can to make the world a better place, helping those we can, while still protecting our own happiness.
You help so many animals in need and in turn touch the lives of their owners...not to mention all the things you do for your friends... you've made your mark, making the world a better place. I think that more than balances any small chance you MAY have had years ago to divert this man's evil path.
Thank God for good neighbors. He probably saved you from much worse than a punch in the face.
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