Twenty-five years ago 53-year-old Clifford W. Eagle helped commit murder. He kept it a secret until last week.
Eagle, homeless and living in Montana, walked up to a police officer in Billings, Montana, on April 18, and confessed his involvement in the murder of Leo Boyd Reasoner, a commissioner in Haskell County, Oklahoma, at the time. Reasoner was found in his pickup truck with a bullet wound to his temple on June 25, 1987.
As in, this man carried this secret around with him for 25 full years and then suddenly, one day, he decided it was enough. That he needed to purge his heart and soul. That he needed to set himself free. He stopped and let it all out. Even though he knew quite well what this kind of confession might do to him.
So many times, at so many points in our lives, we feel like saying something about something. We feel like letting out. But then, we stop ourselves. Probably cos we think of the consequences our honorable action will bring. How it will hurt someone most especially those we love dearly. We keep quiet.
We may never know why this man chose to bring up this issue that was seemingly dead, after all this while but one thing we know is that he has and he may now feel better. Some of the suicides we hear of may have stemmed from something like this - not being able to carry any longer a weight on the mind.
My thoughts: If you feel you cannot carry that weight anylonger, let it out! Better to deal with the consequences than to be blamed for enternity by ur family for taking your life.
(On the other hand, imagine this guy carried out this confession to a Nigerian policeman. JUST IMAGINE)
The cynic in me doesn't believe that that's the reason he confessed but you're right about getting burdensome stuff off your chest. Definitely will make you feel better than holding it in. Not always that easy though...
ReplyDeleteThey say 'he seemed to be of very sound mind' when he owned up to his 25yr old crime. i just cant think of why he had to do it after so long
DeleteThis sounds really strange, but like ur last sentence put it, sometimes it depends on where u find urself. If u don't say it well, u'll find urself laughing on the wrong side of ur mouth. If every household is to organize a clean-up of hearts and minds, I wonder where all those cobwebs and filth will be dumped. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteol boy eh, very true (your last sentence). what if their is an 'operation say the truth' enforced in every single household in the country. Chei!!! The ears will hear things that will make it bleed.
Deleteafter 25 whole mature years na wa.i wonder what made him confess.my guess is,his probably dying or something drastic like that.there are somethings that are better left unsaid oooo.like i call them 'UNSPOKEN WORDS'
ReplyDeleteTo me, the best thing anyone can do for himself/herself is not to have any burden in their mind or brain. This free of spaces within someone to think and reflect back on doing good.
ReplyDeleteI give him thumb up for confessing. He is a man.