I got very bad news yesterday. It occurred to me that I hadn't heard from my cyber-pal, Jonathan Versen, lately and I went into his Facebook page. The first thing I saw was the picture of an eye with a tear in it. I knew what that meant and reading comments, I learned he had died on May 3. A "guestbook" from a funeral home in San Antonio was linked and a number of people had written their condolences. I tried to bring up his obituary, but was unable. I called the funeral home and was told there was no obituary. I asked the woman who answered if she could put me in touch with someone in Jon's family and gave her my number. Five minutes later, a women named "Nebila" called. This is Jon's aunt, with whom he lived. We talked for some time and she told me Jon had driven to the parking lot of the college from which he had graduated and taken his own life by gun. She also told me he had no siblings, but many friends and many books.
Jon had a political/current events blog called "Dead Horse," although he hadn't written in it for almost a year. I contributed an essay or two at his invitation. So did others, including another kindred spirit named Rob Payne. He also maintained for a time a blog called "Hugo Zoom," in which he wrote about movies, music, and so on.
On Facebook, I wrote Jon a private message a few months ago and he responded that he was at loose ends and unhappy at losing his job--I think he had been in computers--and felt useless. His aunt told me he was being treated for depression, an old, sad story for suicides, I'm afraid.
I never saw Jon or actually spoke to him, but we were friends. He was a pacifist and wrote so well and clearly on topics in which I am interested. He was of Arabic descent--Syrian, maybe--and once he wrote a piece about his late mother and posted a picture of her. She was quite beautiful and she had a beautiful son who didn't deserve to die in a parking lot with blood on the window. Jon was 49. What a loss and what a shame.
http://deadhorse1995.blogspot.com/
1 comment:
I am incredibly sorry to learn of Mr. Versen's death. I exchanged comments with him from time to time, and he certainly seemed like a fine individual to me. It's hideous to reflect that a good man gets driven to such an end, while mass murderers from war-criminal-dynasty families sit back happily and get presidential libraries built.
I remain convinced that, ultimately, the scales will be balanced and justice will be done. It won't be in this world, but I believe it will be.
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