easy like sunday morning

Courtney called me one day and told me that he and his friends had spent the morning listening to "Easy Like Sunday Morning"....for hours on repeat. I laughed at the time because of his fanatical love for the song but that's the type of chill (and sometimes ridiculous) person Courtney was. He was an absolute star as long as I knew him and you either met him and became best friends or you hadn't met him yet. He transcended cliques and charmed everyone with his humor and mischievous smile. I would see him in the club one night and the next day could run by and kick it with his grandma and watch "Good Times." He knew everybody - white, black, skater, hiphop, whatever - and everyone respected his awesome potential.

Courtney was found shot multiple times Friday morning. The world will actually never be the same. There is a indescribable pain there now that is perhaps just as enraging as it is depressing. It's so easy to accept someone even if they fall in with the wrong crowd and love them despite their choices. That's not enough. We've lost too many of those close to us to keep that mindset. We have to love them enough to voice our concerns and the realities of the situation. It's time to grow up and stop trying to chase short term plans that line pockets for a few weeks at best. It's feeding your soul for a day when we need to be metaphorically teaching it how to fish for a lifetime. Whatever, you get the point. It's all going to crash down one day, I don't care how in control you are.

As far as I've heard no one knows anything concrete about what went down. The Houston Chronicle had an article asking for more information:

"Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man whose body was found lying beside the road in the 1900 block of Staples about 7:40 a.m. Friday.

The man, who has not been identified, had been shot several times, police said.

He is described as a black man between 19 and 25 years of age. He was wearing black jeans, a black jacket and white tennis shoes.

He was found where the road ends at railroad tracks, police said.

A man who found the body told a nearby school crossing guard, who called 911. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead.

Police ask anyone with information on the victim's identity in this case to contact the Houston police at 713-308-3600 or CrimeStoppers at 713-222-TIPS"

"He was found where the road ends at railroad tracks?" How do you come to grips with something like that? If you hear anything call somebody and let them know. This ain't a game. Stay prayed up, hug your mama, and tell your friends you love 'em. Don't take a moment for granted and in Courtney's words, "Carpe diem."