Comments on: Overnight

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:08:29 +0000

WOW-

I am so happy i did not find this blog untill now. I could not of handled some of these comments from Chris w. Lance is the one of the only friends in the world I could talk to about anything. He always was the guy to try to stop his family and friends from fighting or disliking eachother. Some of us don’t get along with eachother but we all got along with lance. There is nothing I can say that will make anyone feel better about this accident, but that is was a mistake. thank you Pam for your kind words. I hope all of you have a better year.
Lance- you are my best friend. I miss you.

By: Greta

Greta — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:34:55 +0000

For the sake of human dignity and decency, please stop this battle. If Lance was the great guy you say he was, he wouldn’t want to the subject of these mean hearted exchanges. He would want to be remembered with respect and love, not vulgar language in all caps. It must also be hurtful and humiliating for Lance’s family. Please honor his memory by reaching for the best in yourselves. I lost a son young in an accident, and if I were Lance’s parents, I would not want this ugly behavior to make my grief even harder to bear.

By: Keri - Lance's fiance

Keri - Lance's fiance — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:17:38 +0000

I remember when Lance found out that he was getting published here – he was so excited – we went out to celebrate. We had recently moved to Chicago -transplants from Milwaukee – and he was trying to make a go of it as a writer. I loved this story – thought it was hilarious – but Lance was hilarious – and sweet, thoughtful, loving and willing to bend over backward for strangers. He believed in treating everyone how he wanted to be treated and that is why I loved him so much and was looking forward to be able to call myself his wife. So… Go FUCK YOURSELF Chris W., as everyone else has said before me, you have no right to judge unless you have never done anything on impulse that could potentially be foolish in your life. FUCK YOU for being high ad mighty and FUCK YOU for even daring to say those things about the only man in my life that I have ever felt was my soulmate. Get your HEAD out of your ASS and get off your goddam mighty horse. You are not even a thousandth of the man Lance was you sack of shit.

As for everyone else – thank you for reading his work and giving him these wonderful comments – I know he can feel your love where he is at.
If you would like to read more of Lance’s work – go to http://www.clichedlife.com

By: Kim Z.

Kim Z. — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:26:42 +0000

I worked with Lance at Walgreens in Milwaukee for quite a while and it makes me sick to read what Chris W wrote on here. Chris, you need to keep your thoughts, ideas, and “pity” to yourself. No one wants to hear about it or read about it. Lance was a great guy to work with and hang out with and you probably did not know him at all. What happened to Lance was a fucking tragedy, and if you don’t have anything nice to say, then SHUT THE FUCK UP and let his family and fiance mourn him, without blaming Lance for what happened!

By: alise

alise — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 04:32:32 +0000

pam when i read your comment i got goosebumps when i got to the part about the father and the kids… it’s making me want to cry, but in a way it is comforting… it’s just hard that it had to be lance…

By: Rosemarie DiMatteo

Rosemarie DiMatteo — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:10:04 +0000

This must be the most articulate and wise response I have read since the exchange began. I just want to thank Pam for taking the time to write and express so well what we feel about losing Lance. When I think about this, again I must remember how important it is to do the work we love with joyous urgency. No one knows how long we’ll be here.

By: Pam

Pam — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:17:45 +0000

I did not know Lance but I live near the el tracks where this happend. I passed by shortly after and while I could not see much, ( for which I am thankful) I knew it was major. After reading what actually happened that day, I was so saddened. Yes it was a foolish mistake but I don’t know anyone who has not done something foolish at some point in their lives.

While I don’t want to give Mr. CW any credibility I would like to comment. Yes I feel for the emts, police, conductor and anyone who happend to be involved with this tragedy. Was it preventable? Absolutely. Do I blame Lance for the images I have in my mind? Do I think the conductor or police blame Lance for their trauma? I think not, if anything they feel compassion. To blame is to be ignorant. From what little has been written about Lance, it appears that this was probably one of the only foolish decisions he ever made. It had nothing to do with arrogance. Arrogance belongs to those who pass judgment on others and knowingly say and do things to hurt people.

I don’t know if his family will read this but I was driving past the station the other day and there was a young father with his 2 children standing near the crossing with thier bikes. He was explaining to them what happend a few weeks ago and I am sure those children will remember that talk with their dad and not make the same mistake. Maybe there is small comfort in knowing that.

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:40:29 +0000

I worked with Lance in “Drug Store Hell” for two years and spent a lot of time with him outside of work…he was definitely one of the most humble, considerate guys I knew from college and I was stunned when I recently heard the news of his death. I will miss him terribly and my sympathy goes out to his family and to Keri.

By: Nadia

Nadia — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:14:53 +0000

The number of people who are affected by this tragedy is not limited only to the ones actually involved in the accident. There are families involved–parents, brothers, sisters. They have lost someone very dear to them, and they too will be haunted with the “what if’s” and the aftermath of a loss they were not prepared for.

It is their son, brother, cousin, uncle who will be missing from their lives.

It will be his voice, his smile, his touch they long for.

To not consider their grief, their pain, their feelings is truly reprehensible despite whatever possible action someone could’ve or should’ve taken to prevent this tragedy from happening in the first place.

Though I do not know you Lance, I too will miss the writings you will never write and I am glad I came across this piece, though I wish I found this in different circumstances. You are a brilliant writer and you shall be missed.
Thank you for this story as it did make me laugh after a grueling day.

May your loved ones find comfort that though your stay here was brief, you were able to touch so many–even with just 400 words.

By: Greta

Greta — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:07:18 +0000

We all make mistakes. We all in some way contribute to loss and heartbreak. But like Lance, we also try to find a way — through writing or caring for others — to make life alive. Lance, for how much or little any of us knew him, did that. We will all die, Chris included. What more can we do for each other than to try to be kind and generous and forgiving in the meantime? Good God.