To an old friend...

Ok, this one's a bit different. I wanted to take a moment to talk about something closer to home. In Cambodia, people go missing on occasion. Here, a person can be kidnapped, or worse, and you never see them again.

Well, Cambodia isn't the only place like that. In America, thousands of people go missing each year. One of those was a good friend of mine. His name was (and still is) Austin Davis.

I never actually got to see him at this age, sadly.

I tell you, this guy was awesome! I say 'was' because when I left Florida to go to Colorado the first time (1998-ish?), we didn't stay in touch. This was my loss. He was a great friend. He and I would hang out at youth functions (I didn't go out much one-on-one back then), and joke around. We had some laughs and good memories.

In July of 2007, he went missing. One day he's going to a movie with his sister and her hubby, and the next, he's just... gone.

They haven't found him yet (I still keep an eye out. Yes, even over here. I know I am weird.), but there's hope that one day he may just show up again.

losingaustin.blogspot.com - Excellent insight, and a bit of kinship if you've ever lost a loved one.

Also a bit sad I didn't get to eat that with him.

His sister, Anita, and his mom have not given up hope either. Partly in honor of her brother, and partly to help others, Anita started a blog about her experience in losing Austin, and how to cope with that loss. It's touching, insightful, and if you've ever lost anyone, you might just find a bit of comfort here too as she chronicles her life.

Please have a look.