Crappy Weekend....one of the worst.

I guess this is the best place to put this since it is in no way train related. 

This past weekend was by far one of the worst I have had in a long time.   Even though  this is electronic media and I have never seen any of you much less talk to anyone I still feel some what of a "friendship" with many.  Every now and again one needs to share their lives with friends....if nothing more than to just get it out and feel better.

I think I have lost respect for humanity.  I do my best to do the right things and be a good citizen.  I work, pay taxes support the community as best I can.  I try to to what is right when someone needs help.  I try to learn from my poor choices I have made in the past.  I hope that by being a "good person" that good things will happen to you.  This past weekend was an example of what is wrong with many out there who might not feel the same way, who take advantage of those who do and who generally don't give a f*** about the rest of us.

A kid (about 23 or so) has been living with us for the past couple of months.  We knew he had some trouble with the law in the past but knew his father very well and felt like he was really trying hard to get back on his feet.  He had no were else to go.  His girlfriend kicked him out.  He had no job and no clothes.  He had been working for my wife's parents grocery store but due to some conflict there he was let go.  We let him stay on our couch.  We fed him.  My wife did his laundry.  In return he did odd jobs around the house.  I in fact really enjoyed having him around.  We did a lot together.  I took him gofer hunting, fishing and we even played video games.  A couple of weeks or so ago he asked to use my .223 caliber rifle to go hunting.  I told him he could.  I had no reason not to trust him at this point.  When he brought it back he had cleaned it and I could tell he took care of it.  This past Saturday I was gone for some reason and he asked my wife if he could borrow it again.  Since I had already said it was okay she told him it was okay a well.

I should back up a bit and tell you that over the past week or so we had started to see a different side if him.  He now had a job which meant he had money....which meant he could buy drugs and alcohol.  He never did any drugs around us but he would occasionally come home in the afternoon or evening and you could tell he had been drinking for awhile.  We started to talk about him leaving and getting on his own.  It was getting to the point where he might have been overstepping his bounds.  We as newlyweds were starting to feel the absence of privacy etc that was also beginning to cause some friction.

Anyway back to Saturday night.  I had come home from a Turkey Hunters Banquet a bit early so I could watch the last part of the Nascar race.  My wife got a phone call so she went upstairs to talk.  About 9:30 or 10:00 or so our "guest" came in and I could tell once again he had been drinking.  (I don't drink much anymore and feel very uncomfortable around people when they are drunk)  He said he had something to tell me and that I was going to be upset.  With out him going any further I knew something had happend to my gun.  I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it wasn't good.  He wanted to explain what happened and gave my a local Sheriff Deputy's card.  He said all I would need to do is call him in the morning and I could get it back.  I was so upset I took the card and tossed it across the room.  I told him he could never use anything of mine again.  (I gave him a pair of my shoes and a shirt so he could go to a job interview earlier).  I told him I didn't want to talk about it and that it didn't matter how he got my gun taken away just the fact that it did was enough.  Being drunk he really was persistent.  I eventually got to the point where I asked him to leave.  I didn't care where he went just get out of my house.  He refused and still wanted to explain to me what happened.  I yelled at him I DON'T CARE...He the threw a good left cross conecting with my jaw.  I now was in such a state of anger I'm not sure what transpired.  I know I yelled so loud my wife finally came downstairs to see what the  problem was. I told her to get him out of the house.  It apparently wasn't fast enough for me so I actually had the strength to toss him out the back door. (He as about 20 lbs on me)  My wife wanted to separate us so she asked me to go upstairs.  She told him to go to his dad's place and cool down.  When I was upstairs I  clenched my jaw and let me tell you it hurt like hell.  I came back downstairs and told my wife he had hit me and I might in fact be hurt.  She was pissed.  She called the Sheriff Department and asked them to meet us at the emergency room. 

We got to the Hospital and come to find out I was fine.  I made a statement and talked to the Officer.  He happened to be the same one that took my gun away from our guest.    He told me I could come by the Sherriffs office on Sunday and pick it up.  What I wasn't preparred for was that he said our guest was actually a felon and was not allowed to have guns.  Both my wife and I could be held for giving a gun to a felon.  That wasn't going to be the case but he wanted to let us know we had in fact made a big mistake by allowing someone like him into our home.  

Needless to say our guest will be going to jail.  I spoke with his dad for awhile and he was hoping I could recommend to the judge that we get him some help rather than just toss him in jail.  I told him I would need to think about it but that is probably what I would do.  That is until I got up this morning and found my two driver's side tires where slashed on my delivery van.  Monday is usually about a 12-14 hour day for me.  I really didn't need that.

All in all we both learned something this past weekend.  Be very careful of who you befriend.  Don't for a minute let your guard down.  I have lost faith in humanity.  Right now it disgusts me.  I feel betrayed and more importantly hurt.   I have had too many people in my life stab me in the back to allow much more room in my heart for more than my wife and child.

Thanks for listening.   Sorry it is so long

Eric

Deer Lodge, MT