Numb

What do you do when you walk in the door and find out someone you’ve done a story on has died?

Someone who sat and for two hours poured out the bitter fights and pain of the past 13 years to you. Someone who proudly shows off his achievements and is looking forward to a better future. Someone who benefitted because the article you wrote on him not only helped him, but others as well.

I just had that happen to me. I wrote an article about a man with bipolar back in October. I really consider it one of the best things I’ve ever written. It’s also generated the most outpouring from other people so far. We kept getting feedback for a month straight about how the article led them to help seek assistance for their loved ones. And now the subject of my article is dead. How, we don’t know. I haven’t called his mother yet. She e-mailed me wanting some pictures of him that we ran and I’m trying to track down the photographer who went with me.

I feel so numb. It’s so sad. I know God called Richie home for a reason...I just feel like if it’s anything other than natural causes that we failed him somehow.

I’m going to ask when the memorial is. If it’s on Tuesday, I’ll probably put off my trip back to Alabama to attend.