Life is random...and so am I

”As you know, I’m a published writer, so I’m all too familiar with deadlines, plotting ideas, and, unfortunately, writer’s block. I have to say that, every time I tried to write this, I found myself getting hit with the worst case of writer’s block I’ve ever had. Other than my mom’s eulogy, and some pieces I wrote for my dad, this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to write.

I’ve spent 8 years growing up here. The reason I say “growing up” is because I do feel that I’ve grown, both personally and professionally, and that is, in no small part, due to you and the influence you’ve had on me. Eight years ago you decided to take a chance on me and hire me. Saying ‘thank you’ just doesn’t quite seem appropriate. It seems too small.

I’ve been through a lot in the last 8 years. We both have. From a professional standpoint, you have taught me so much, not only about this industry, but also about how to put my best foot forward always, even when things aren’t going as well as planned. You have not only been a teacher, you’ve been a mentor and a role model. A good mentor is able to share life experiences and wisdom, as well as technical expertise and, of course, support. They are good listeners, good observers, and good problem-solvers. They make an effort to know, accept, and respect the goals and interests of the person they are mentoring. If I told you that you have been a good mentor that would be such an understatement. You have been an excellent mentor.

You are an amazing role model because you’re able to inspire so easily. You have made me want to be a better person. Not only have I learned so much about this industry, but I have learned a ton about myself. You are a natural at being a leader, and it shows. I never felt like I was following you, or being led by you, because you treated me with respect, and you treated me as an equal, always doing so honestly and with an open mind. You guided me along the way and allowed me to decide how to handle difficult situations, and how to come up with creative solutions to meet client needs…and to keep them happy.

You live by the motto “work hard, play hard” which is such an important thing, but it’s often overlooked. This was the first company I ever worked for that had that mentality. You recognize the importance of keeping employees happy because you know that happy employees are more productive and more loyal. You always let your teams know they are appreciated, and how important they are in the grand scheme of things.

Personally, and this is where it gets really tough, you have been a wonderful friend. There are ups and downs in every relationship, that’s human nature. True friends are there to celebrate successes but, more importantly, they are there with a shoulder to cry on, or vent to, when times are tough. You have shared my personal triumphs and helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life. There are not enough words for me to properly express my gratitude.

For all of this, and so much more, thank you. I know that you will be great no matter where the road takes you on this journey. It’s been such a pleasure working with you and, although we’ll no longer be co-workers, I hope we can remain friends. I won’t say goodbye because I hate goodbyes, and I really don’t want this to be an ending, but rather a beginning. What I will say is good luck, and please keep in touch.”

I would like to personally congratulate all of the winners, honorable mentions, finalists and nominees in all categories. There are two reasons that you were nominated. For one thing, you are incredibly talented, but, perhaps more importantly, you’re an amazing part of this community. Being nominated is an honor in and of itself, so pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

A week after Jim’s body was discovered, Adam pulled into the parking lot of the hotel after work. He parked next to a police cruiser, and happened to notice that the light in Jim’s room was on. Rather than going to his own room, he decided to go see what was going on.

When he arrived, he found Papa, Stinky and Detective Tom. “What’s going on in here? Have you found out what happened?”

“Actually, we did,” the detective spoke.

“Has there been an arrest made?” Adam inquired.

“No, there will be no arrest. The death was accidental.”

Papa was watering the tree. He stopped what he was doing and asked, “Was it this thing?”

“Well, I guess you could say that the tree was indirectly involved with his death. His foot had been crushed. It appears he dropped the tree on it, and was trapped there. We don’t know if maybe he was unconscious from the pain or not, but he was trapped for several days.”

“But I notified you guys that he was missing,” Papa included.

“That you did. After your missing person’s report was file, we raided the room, remember? Jim had been trapped for several days without food or water. He was weak. When we burst into the room, it appears his heart couldn’t take the shock of it. He had a heart attack.”

“Damn, the tree did it after all. He should have asked Papa or I to help him move it,” Stinky stated.

“He obviously didn’t have very high hopes,” Adam said.

“Wait a minute, I just got into town today.  I never even met the guy!  How could I possibly be considered a suspect?,” Adam exclaimed.

"Once the M.E. determines the cause, and time, of death, we’ll need to verify your whereabouts.  Until then, I’m afraid you are all suspects.”

“Aw crap! My probation officer is not going to be happy about this,” Stinky claimed.

“Your WHAT?!,” they shouted in unison.

“Too many unpaid parking tickets,” he had the decency to blush.

“You mean, you’re a scofflaw?,” Papa was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

“Stinky, you should let your P.O. know about this.  He’s likely to go easier on you if he hears it from you first. Papa, I’m going to need access to your records, especially your guest registry for the last several weeks,” declared Police Detective Tom.

“What the Hell for?!”

“Papa, I can assure you that this is standard procedure.  Anyone with a connection to this hotel, including guests at the time, will need to be ruled out as suspects.”

“Oh, for the love of Christ! The damn tree killed him.”

“We. Don’t. Know. That. Yet,” the cop snapped back.

“But…,” Stinky tried to interject.

“Enough! Look, I know it’s inconvenient, but we have a dead guy here.  Show a little respect, will ya? Try putting this into perspective before you start spouting off about how this affects you. If the deceased had been someone in your family, wouldn’t you want to get to the bottom of it?”

There were mumbled “sorries” but, before the detective could say anything more, his cell phone rang. “Detective Tom speaking…” He listened closely while the medical examiner filled him in on what she had found so far.

“So the tree did not kill our vic?,” Detective Tom said into the phone, and loud enough so they could all hear. “I’m heading back to the station now.  Let me know as soon as you’re done the autopsy, and have the official report ready for me.”

“Well, well, well...,” he looked each of them squarely in the eye. “That was the M.E. She hasn’t done the autopsy yet, but there’s one thing she can say for sure. The tree didn’t kill Jim. His death appears “suspicious” to her.”

There was a long, awkward silence in the room.

“Gentlemen, I believe it’s only a matter of time before this is officially ruled a homicide. We’ll need each of you to come down to the station for questioning.  I strongly recommend that each of you have legal representation with you.”

Adam fainted.

"The police are on their way. They asked us not to touch anything," Papa informed as he re-entered the room. "Damn, we're already struggling because of this economy. The last thing we need is bad publicity."

"What was his name, again?," asked Stinky.

"Jim. He seemed nice enough. Man, what the Hell happened here? Now we know why that humongous tree is the only thing he moved in here. That damn thing killed him!"

"Hey, uh, boss, I don't think it was the tree."

"Of course it was the tree, Stinky. Don't be an idiot!"

"His foot was trapped under it, but that wouldn't have killed him."

"How did he get the tree here? You said that was the only thing he had moved in here. Where's the rest of his stuff? Did he have a car?," Adam rattled off questions.

"He did have a car parked in the lot. After we realized he was missing, and I notified the authorites, they towed it for further analysis. It had the rest of his belongings, including his wallet and cell phone."

The police arrived and did their due diligence, taking statements and examining the room thoroughly. By the time they were about to finish up, the medical examiner was on the scene to take the body to the morgue.

"You say you just rented this room today?," the police detective asked Adam.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to find another room. This room will be restricted to police only for the next few days."

"I've got another room, but it's not very popular. Although, I suspect that's about to change," Papa's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh God, what's wrong with the other room?!," the nerves clearly showing in Adam's shaky voice.

"It's just far, that's all. The room is all the way at the other end of our property. There's no parking lot back there, so you have to park by the main building and walk over, with all your belongings. It...umm...sucks, especially when the weather's bad."

"In other words, it's as far away from this room as you can possibly get?"

"Well, yeah."

"I'll take it!," Adam exclaimed.

"Detective, do you think the tree crushed him to death?"

"No, I don't. Probably broke his foot, but that wouldn't have killed him. We've been looking into his background since he went missing. Nothing suspicious has turned up...yet. If there was someone out to get him, we'll figure it out sooner or later."

"I hope it's sooner."

"Me too, Papa...me too. We'll be in touch. Until this investigation is over, I'm going to have to ask all of you not to leave town."

As Adam approached the desk, the guy behind it looked up. He seemed surprised. He had beady, little eyes, but then he smiled, and it lit up his whole face.

"Well, hello there! We don't get many strangers around here. I'm Papa. How can I help you, son?"

"Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Adam. I just got into town. I'm starting a new job on Monday, and I need a place to stay for a while until I can find something more permanent."

"Well then, you've come to the right place. It just so happens that I have a room for rent. It was recently vacated. I haven't even had the time to advertise it yet." Chuckling, Papa continued, "I was working on the ad for the newspaper when you walked in."

Relief washed over Adam. "What luck! May I see it?"

"Absolutely. Follow me."

"So, 'Papa', huh?," he asked sheepishly. Papa laughed. He had one of those deep, belly laughs that was contagious.

"Yeah, the Mrs. & I have 10 kids. They're all grown and out on their own. I got so used to being called 'Papa' all the time, the nickname just sort of stuck."

Papa opened the door to the room and peeked his head in as if he were expecting to see someone in there. Seeing the puzzled look on Adam's face, he said, "Strangest damn thing, I had someone rent this room 2 weeks ago. He came in one day, paid for a full month up front, and we never saw or heard from him again. He never even moved in anything other than that giant potted tree in the corner. We've tried calling his cell phone, and I've even driven past his last-known address. There's no sign of him. It's as if he has fallen off the face of the Earth."

Adam got that uneasy feeling again, "Uh, are you sure you can even rent me this room? What if he returns?"

"Don't you worry, my boy. I have gone through the proper channels, and taken all of the necessary steps. I even notified the authorities to file a missing person's report. The police came in to RAID! the room, but they found nothing."

It didn't make him feel much better, but he needed a place to stay, and it looked like this was it. That really was a most unusual tree the last tenant brought in. He walked over to it. The closer he got, the more he noticed a terrible smell. He looked to Papa, "Do you smell that? Do you think it's the tree?"

"I hadn't noticed it before now. It must be the tree. Let me call my maintenance guy. The two of us will move the tree on out of here for you."

Stinky arrived a short time later. "Adam, this is my maintenance man, Stinky. If you need anything, he's here most days."

"Um, nice to meet you...Stinky. Doesn't anyone around here have an actual name?"

Papa and Stinky laughed. "It was a childhood nickname that, unfortunately, never went away," Stinky said.

The two went over to the tree and lifted it. Adam was checking out the rest of the room when he heard a crash and someone yell "OH SHIT!" He turned. They had dropped the tree and were backing away slowly.

He ran over and saw what had freaked them out...a dead body. "Who is it?"

"That was the last tenant. Excuse me, I need to go call the police."

Adam walked into the lobby of the seedy, roach motel wondering how he’d ever be able to stay here. Unfortunately, it was his only option at this point. There were no other vacancies in town.

His new job starts on Monday. Desperate for a place to stay until he can find something more permanent, he found himself at this place. It left a whole lot to be desired.

He was excited to be in L.A., the City of Angels. A new city, and a new job...things had to be looking up for him finally, right?

As he makes his way to the desk, he hears Hotel California playing in the background. “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

A chill ran down his spine. He was overreacting. He chalked it up to nerves and stress. Adam continued on his way. Resigned to the fact that he had to make the best of the situation. This was a new beginning, and the start of something wonderful.

He could feel it.

spir·it·u·al
adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.
2. of or pertaining to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature: a spiritual approach to life.
3. closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc.: the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics.
4. of or pertaining to spirits or to spiritualists; supernatural or spiritualistic.
5. characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined: She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.

Synonyms: airy, asomatous, devotional, discarnate, disembodied, divine, ethereal, extramundane, ghostly, holy, immaterial, incorporeal, intangible, metaphysical, nonmaterial, nonphysical, platonic, pure, rarefied, refined, sacred, supernal, unfleshly, unphysical

Antonyms: bodily, irreligious, irreverent, physical, unspiritual


re·li·gious
adjective, noun, plural -gious.
adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with religion: a religious holiday.
2. imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly: a religious man.
3. scrupulously faithful; conscientious: religious care.
4. pertaining to or connected with a monastic or religious order.
5. appropriate to religion or to sacred rites or observances.
noun
6. a member of a religious order, congregation, etc.; a monk, friar, or nun.
7. the religious, devout or religious persons: Each year, thousands of the religious make pilgrimages to the shrine.

Synonyms: believing, born-again, canonical, churchgoing, churchly, clerical, deistic, devotional, devout, divine, doctrinal, ecclesiastical, god-fearing, godly, holy, ministerial, moral, orthodox, pietistic, pious, pontifical, prayerful, priestly, pure, reverent, righteous, sacerdotal, sacred, sacrosanct, saintlike, saintly, scriptural, sectarian, spiritual, supernatural, theistic, theological

Antonyms: agnostic, atheistic, irreligious, ungodly