The Laughing Wolf

A Memory Of The Past

This morning has seen work being done, work being pursued, the long overdue start of real posting again, and a lot of dishwashing. Now, I know that they washed the dishes and such here before I moved in, but I still do it. Here’s why.

No, it is not that I don’t trust them to do a good job. Rather, it is because of a wonderful German restaurant that used to exist in Chicago. That restaurant was one of the best I have ever found in the U.S., and even served a Bavarian dish which can be hard to find. The last time I was in there is why I wash everything that I have not used before.

You see, I walked in that night and had a delicious meal. The food was great, but the mood was not. It is hard to have a good mood when people are sobbing, both clients and staff. You see, a regular had just died. She was a flight attendant who came home from a long haul not feeling well. She took some medicine, and died within minutes.

You see, she had been out of town and was not familiar with the news. The medicine she took was Tylenol capsules, and she was the last victim of the psychopathic animal poisoner who terrorized the city of Chicago and the nation as a whole.

You see, or, do you see? The world changed back then and many today have never lived in a time without security seals, tamper proof packaging, and other delights that came about as the result of sick scum. It is hard to explain the change it made, the checks that became routine, and the distrust it bred. No one knew who this person was, what they had done – if anything – other than the Tylenol. No one knew how many other copycats there would be, or where and how they would strike.

So, I check the packages and the seals, and I wash things that are new or new to me. And I remember that night and a good person who died, and a person who I hope suffered or is still suffering in unspeakable ways, for the lives they took and the innocence they took from the world.