Looking back at roads diverged

Today I received a news update on my phone. The thing is it was from the Mississippi Coast where my family lives. It turns out a man had taken his wife hostage at a local Winn-Dixie. Fortunately no one was hurt from Winn-Dixie or the man's wife but the man shot himself in the chest and eventually died on the operating table. After watching a little football I checked the news website to see if any updated information was available. Turns out I knew the guy. He was two years ahead of me in high school I began to think about how tragic it can be that paths could diverge so differently. It's amazing to me that I knew this particular guy. I graduated from what was at the time the largest high school in the state of Mississippi and it didn't even include ninth grade. I remember him being a pretty decent guy in high school. He didn't seem to make a lot of trouble. It's just so wild to me that someone could come to such a point. I don't really know what was going through his mind or what caused it but I know there are people around the world in the same predicament. Spend some time watching the people around you. Look for people who seem to be going through a tough time. Take the time to offer to walk with them through the tough time or even if need be carry them through it.