"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." --Abraham Lincoln

On Friday, I found out that an old manager of mine, someone I considered a friend committed suicide two weeks ago. Coincidentally enough, about three weeks ago I tried to call him and found it very odd that his cell phone (which he lived on) was disconnected. Hind sight is 20/20 but I'm thinking now that Curt was bi-polar or something along those lines. (Jumping from job to job, working eighteen hour days, moving from place to place all the time.)

Curt was a talented man who at different times in his life had been a vice president at several different transportation companies, owned a collection agency, owned a freight forwarding outfit, and owned a flat bed company. He had two great kids and though he was about ten years older than I am, looked like a ripped twenty year old.

When I worked with him, he had to live away from his kids (he was divorced). More than one time, I recall his daughter calling and complaining about "Mom" grounding her or punishing her. Curt would always calm her down with that salesman voice of his and then defend his ex-wife. "She's your Mom. You have to do what she says honey."

Curt not only taught me a lot about transportation but he saw my potential. When he left, our last company he wanted me to come with him but unfortunately their office was too far from here (about an hour) and right in the middle of the snow belt and Cleveland rush hour traffic.

Curt, I hope and pray that wherever you are, you find that inner peace you need. And for your family, I will pray often. Though it's been nearly seventeen years, I can never forget the whole in my own heart from my Dad's suicide.