One of the top stories in Laguna Niguel lately has been the hit and run death of 20-year-old last week at the corner of Marina Hills Drive and Golden Lantern.
The , but I wanted to dig deeper and ask:”WHY are they doing that?”
I live in Marina Hills and on my walks visit that very intersection. The accident happened on a Friday morning, Sept. 7 and I happened to be walking about two days later at 6 a.m. and there was a crowd of more than a dozen sitting on the green. I correctly assumed they were friends of Carlos’ and I walked over to confirm and give them props for what they were doing.
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. They were most angry at the Hand of God that put Carlos at that same spot as the bastard that killed him. Make no mistake, this was murder, by legal definition or not, and I believe and shared my thoughts with the crowd that they will find the driver of that car.
As I walked home and was deeply touched at the outpouring of love and support of his friends and I asked myself: “If I were killed in that same situation, who would mourn for me?” or YOU?
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whereas, I am almost three times that age with a less social life. Regardless, I wondered how many lives I have touched.
I never met Carlos, at least to my knowledge, but I get a sense that he was a decent, nice young man. To create such a positive vibe and respect of so many is impressive. The vigil continued for several more days, in cooler temps and blistering heat, and their efforts to raise money for Carlos’ funeral and family has garnered more than $6,000 the last I heard.
The question of life and death was brought more personal to me just a few days after the hit and run, when one of my business partners, Frank Alcorn, died of cancer at age 50. He lived in New York, but for many years had an office with us here in Newport Beach.
This stud of a man was a beacon of good health. Always working out, eating right, he looked 10 years younger, yet cancer struck him several years ago and he tried to prevail. The shock I had last week was because I had no idea he was THAT CLOSE to death. With Stage IV the end is almost always a certainty, but finding out on Facebook was haunting and kept me awake that evening. Even though Facebook is as impersonal as it is, it was heartwarming to see so many friends, most of whom I did not know, post pictures of Frank. Friends from his very early youth, his college days, wedding and kids shots brought his life to the forefront and he will be missed.
We have to face the reality of our mortality and be thankful for every day we have. Carlos had no idea that Friday morning pre-dawn would be his last minutes on Earth. We do not know who was at fault, whether one crossed the light illegally or whether it was a combination of several bad things. He had no idea it was His Time, but at age 20, that’s all folks.
He left an impact, his many friends that sat and mourned for him. I spoke with many on the successive days as I walked by and they were accepting reality with more ease, but bitter just the same. They all shared wonderful comments about Carlos and based on the circumstances I believe they are all sincere.
This morning I walked by again, pre-dawn at 5:30 am. The people are gone, but flowers and candles and pictures remain. I sat for a moment on the very spot where he was killed and asked his soul to help direct the authorities to the SOB that took his life before he departed. Carlos’ spirit remains until then and even after then his spirit will always be with those friends and family that he left behind and sat vigil for him.
Who will sit for you? Who would sit for me? Treat every day as though it could be your last and leave those behind with loving thoughts and memories and appreciate those that do likewise with you.
