In Memorium - my friend Tyler
8:20am: One of the women in the office comes by. "Darrin has called an emergency meeting for our department in Classroom A." "What's it about?" "I don't know, we are all supposed to go."
8:30am: Twenty people pack into the small classroom The feel of the room is somber. Scanning faces, I see tears being wiped away. Feeling of deep foreboding. Why would people cry?
8:31am: Darrin, our CEO, is saying words that make my stomach clench into an ice cube. "Some of you may have heard that there is an unconfirmed incident that possibly involves Tyler Watson....Police have not released a name....Police confirm that there was a body found....grief counselors will be onsite."
What??? Tyler? My buddy Tyler? The lean, sarcastic, cynical friend with the prematurely silver butch haircut and the two beautiful daughters (16 and 18 I think) who shares my passion for fishing? Who is always bringing me the latest "caught fish" picture to brag about it? The one who I shoot emails back and forth to a dozen times a day as we share laughter about the silly things that go on here and poke fun at management? My friend...who is only in his 40s?
No. Surely not. It can't be.
But it is, I guess. The news says it's a homicide. They won't say yet what happened but HR has confirmed that it was Tyler. Somebody killed him.
I can't believe that he's gone and I won't walk back into his cubicle and see his smile when he looks up.
This was one of his last emails to me, and shows his quick sense of humor. We were discussing a fellow employee who is a bit...hard to get along with, and I was venting to him. As usual, he was quick to come in on my side...
"I can only imagine. Zurcher has some horror stories about him too. I used to not like him at all.
It’s only over the last few years that I’ve come to actually not mind him. I remember once when Zurcher was a TA, and her and Matt sat back there where Monica is now. I was delivering paper work, and without turning around he says “so Tyler, I hear you are frosting your hair”. (it was when I was turning my current shade). And without missing a beat, I said “at least it’s staying in my head!”
He hasn’t tried a crack since."
Tyler - I will not forget you. I hope you didn't have time to know what had happened, and I hope you're in a good place and you're at peace.
8:30am: Twenty people pack into the small classroom The feel of the room is somber. Scanning faces, I see tears being wiped away. Feeling of deep foreboding. Why would people cry?
8:31am: Darrin, our CEO, is saying words that make my stomach clench into an ice cube. "Some of you may have heard that there is an unconfirmed incident that possibly involves Tyler Watson....Police have not released a name....Police confirm that there was a body found....grief counselors will be onsite."
What??? Tyler? My buddy Tyler? The lean, sarcastic, cynical friend with the prematurely silver butch haircut and the two beautiful daughters (16 and 18 I think) who shares my passion for fishing? Who is always bringing me the latest "caught fish" picture to brag about it? The one who I shoot emails back and forth to a dozen times a day as we share laughter about the silly things that go on here and poke fun at management? My friend...who is only in his 40s?
No. Surely not. It can't be.
But it is, I guess. The news says it's a homicide. They won't say yet what happened but HR has confirmed that it was Tyler. Somebody killed him.
I can't believe that he's gone and I won't walk back into his cubicle and see his smile when he looks up.
This was one of his last emails to me, and shows his quick sense of humor. We were discussing a fellow employee who is a bit...hard to get along with, and I was venting to him. As usual, he was quick to come in on my side...
"I can only imagine. Zurcher has some horror stories about him too. I used to not like him at all.
It’s only over the last few years that I’ve come to actually not mind him. I remember once when Zurcher was a TA, and her and Matt sat back there where Monica is now. I was delivering paper work, and without turning around he says “so Tyler, I hear you are frosting your hair”. (it was when I was turning my current shade). And without missing a beat, I said “at least it’s staying in my head!”
He hasn’t tried a crack since."
Tyler - I will not forget you. I hope you didn't have time to know what had happened, and I hope you're in a good place and you're at peace.