The Shooting in Colorado

Having been at the VA awhile while the faculty was built I recall people coming and going. Dr. Altschuler, chairman at the Medical School, was always good at talking up the talents he recruited. One fellow was the 'best research student' this respected research doctor 'had seen' in his announcement of his coming at the residency graduation. Well it was Veni, Vidi, Vici except the latter was he left because he wasn't quite getting the respect he needed and went on to where he might. A few years later, I was in Dr. Fowler's office, he was chief at the VA, and he asked me did I know where so-and-so was. Well, no, in fact, I didn't. He was now running a little county MHMR clinic somewhere. I thought about this in relation to the guy that killed so many people, you know. He was 'in the process of leaving the medical school.' Well, the story I told is kind of typical of people who might be called to glory and schadenfreude may accompany their departure. But here's to all of them who went on and did something else in their lives, forgiving, in a sense, the trespass against their narcissistic desires.