There is Bad News

I was in Target standing in the only checkout lane that was staffed. There was a delay in front of me. A mom with a three-year boy and a newborn was disputing a charge and so, knowing it would take some time to resolve, I started scrolling through Facebook.

The first item? Our alderman had died. He was found in a suburban park and the cause of death was determined to be suicide. He leaves his parents, a brother, wife, and four children. He also leaves an aldermanic district and city that he loved and that pretty much loved him back.

My jaw dropped. He was hardworking and enthusiastic, serious and tireless. He helped a promising young man run for the state legislature this summer and together they knocked on more than 14,000 doors. For a while, every time we went out to put up signs for the same candidate, we’d see the two of them on the street, our alderman holding the list and his mentee holding a stack of flyers. Our guy lost and it was depressing. He was a flawed candidate and all of that left us a little bitter, but the experience made us feel like comrades of our alderman. Like we were people who could be in the trenches with him. We huddled and griped over cold beers at the ‘victory celebration.’

I’ve known his mother for a long time. We worked together forty years ago. We weren’t close, probably not even friends, but because the place where we worked together was unique and difficult, we always felt a bond, like sorority sisters from different schools. We wore the same sweaters, if you get my drift. I am imagining her face tonight and her profound grief and it makes me sick that she is going through this. He was so much her beautiful boy.

That is all I have to say. I found out that our alderman died while I was standing in line at Target. That was a couple of hours ago and I still can’t believe it. I just want to put my head in my hands.