Happy ... DayTired day. Took a half hour nap around 3 but it should have been longer.
Eleven years ago today one of my childhood friends died after he hung himself in his basement. He was actually better friends with my older brother than he was with me but I still remember him vividly. His name was Ryan Long and he was the leader of our little neighborhood club called The Challengers. The Challengers had a club house (a tree fort in Ryan's backyard) and we would all gather and meet and then play touch-football with one of those pink and black Nerf footballs. Ryan was usually wide-receiver, my brother was quarterback, and I usually rounded it all off as the running back.
Every year when February 13 comes around, I think of Ryan and his life and why he would want to do something like what he did. His family never quite figured out why he killed himself -- he didn't leave a note or anything. He was only 17.
