My youngest son has a friend who was quite a handful when just a youth. I have firsthand knowledge of that since I coached the boys in both basketball and baseball. But my son’s friend went to college, got a degree, and was encouraging my son to become a personal trainer like he is. Sounds good, right? Well, it turns out that instead of coaching the boys on basketball and baseball skills, I should have taught life skills.
Imagine my surprise when I saw this headline concerning his arrest and the charges …
Of course, I want to protect his identity, so I obscured the young man’s face by using the face of a known felonious criminal.
My son’s friend was arrested on 6 felony charges with potential additional charges pending. Nothing special, just shooting a pellet gun at someone and a bomb possession charge, with drug charges pending. He seems nice.
The good news is that he has gotten mental health help, and is currently out on bail. Regardless, I made sure to advise my son to decline any invitations from his friend, especially if it is to go out for cocktails.
Jim Flanigan Looks at the World 