I think that experience would shake anyone. 

Wow! Scary! This sounded like the scene from a movie!

It's too late to wonder about not talking to him more, since he gave you the creeps, going with your instincts was probably the best thing!

Who knows, perhaps he was in such a different place mentally and probably not very sociable, maybe those were the signals you were picking up?!

You could not have known.  Like it or not, everyone is susceptible to first impressions.  And unless given the opportunity (or in some cases forced to) get to know a person better, that is all we have.

It is a sad tale, but also one of good news as well.  He lived his life as he wanted to, not as some braindead life sucking on tubes.  We mourn the man we did not get to know, but we should not feel bad he lived the life he wanted to. 

 

I dunno. Looking back on it, he was a bit nuts. He'd sit in a very junky yard staring into space and waving sort of crazily when he saw someone. AND CLEAR THE ROAD WHEN HE DROVE! . Still: I had no idea he was a former maestro. His house was full of trash, yet he (in a previous life) lead an orchestra?! Devastated by the lost of his wife -- did he ever recover? And to be found by a relative stranger (ME!), days after his death? Disturbing. I'm still turning the whole thing over in my brain. I think all I can do is try to be a little more open....he did give me the creeps, though....

See, my mom is the other way. If you're in an airport, and there is a guy with an icecream cone stuck to his forehead, she'd go up to him and say, "you know you have an icecream cone stuck to your forehead." Maybe a happy medium is in order.

I totally agree. That is where my brain has gone -- I guess I'd hate to be found by a stranger, but I'd rather be found by a stranger than be Terri Shaivo.

Just a little judgemental are we? How do you know he was pompus? He was nothing of the kind -- Did you read the article? He lived in what very easily could have been mistaken for a crack house. (it's the one everyone whispers about in an otherwise nice neighborhood...) My point is I judged someone based on their current circumstances -- a crazy old man living in squalor -- and completely missed the fact that he might have been interesting and insightful, been able to add something to my life, some value, some knowledge I might have missed. Or, perhaps not. But by walking on by -- well, I'll never know.

I have no interest in learning how to boil coke on a spoon. And, I can hear it now, you'll say not all crack whores start out as crack whores. Perhaps they, too, have a past life that was full of purpose and the drugs dragged them down. That may be, but you can't dig information out of people when they are slumped in a corner higher than a kite. You can when their only crime is being old and in mourning for a lost love -- and maybe just a bit crazy.

No, I don't think I would have been any less amazed if he was a plumber. I always just thought of him as the crazy hermit next door. Our points are similar, though I think it's hard to be all high and mighty when (on your part) I'm self-criticizing. Your tone comes off as though it is you who is judgemental and sitting on the throne, Mr. Little People, not me. The person, who I'm friends with, the neighbor that asked me to come and find Mr. Blue -- she's the wife of a local fisherman. I know them both very well. They gave me my first taste of venison. I avoided Mr. Blue because I thought he was crazy, not unimportant.

So don't preach to me about the value of the "little people". I don't even think that way. What the hell do you think I am?

My ba is psych. I saw enough crazy people to avoid them. I understand where you are coming from. It's been a long day, and I have a long evening ahead. Sorry I can't be more indepth or thought provoking at the moment. Cheers!