Vigil Report and Photos

[Syndrome]

For those who could not be there, click here for my report on the vigil and some photos: http://bit.ly/DHoZf

Despite the gray sky and drizzle, there was a rainbow over the lake as though he were there in spirit. I just hope my report is respectful and paints a more personal picture of him, and I hope it gives a little idea of what it was like for those who could not be there. I'm glad to say the TV stations were very low key, although I left a little early so I don't know what they did after I left. I saw Bru there too.

[Shorty82]

Sounds like a good vigil. I was there in spirit since I had to work. Glad to hear the news media was low key, sounds like they're learning a little bit. They were also low key at the memorial service and stayed where they belonged, across the street.

[Syndrome]

So much for tasteful news reports...WESH posted a story about the vigil which of course had to include finger pointing, including this lovely quote:

The former monorail pilot said that was not uncommon. He added that he even heard the manager directing the tracks from a bathroom.

"I'm washing my hands, I hear him on the radio in the stall," Brian said. "It stuck out. It's just not right."

Yeah, real classy to include anonymous finger pointing in a story about the vigil. :mad:

[Unknown Delight]

Thanks so much for posting this for those of us not able to make it in person!

:)

So glad to hear the media stayed low key...but very sorry to hear they are back to raising Hell again now that they are back in their studios.

God bless Austin.

[Shorty82]

So much for tasteful news reports...WESH posted a story about the vigil which of course had to include finger pointing, including this lovely quote:

The former monorail pilot said that was not uncommon. He added that he even heard the manager directing the tracks from a bathroom.

"I'm washing my hands, I hear him on the radio in the stall," Brian said. "It stuck out. It's just not right."

Yeah, real classy to include anonymous finger pointing in a story about the vigil. :mad:

Why am I not surprised. Can't the news run one story about something related to the incident but not directly about the incident without pointing fingers to the cause?

[turkeyham]

The pictures were good. The media needs to go away from this story. The media is still having a field day with the Michael Jackson story. The neighbors in the Jackson neighbor said enough. Can the residence of Celebration say to the media to take a hike? I just know what the media said on the news.

[Switchbeam 9]

Beautiful vigil. I see some familiar faces there too. The life of Austin was definitely one to celebrate. Fitting that the name of the place is Celebration.

God loved the WDW Monorail system so much that he built one for heaven. Then he needed a pilot. He picked a very good one.

It is truly the highway in the sky.

[Syndrome]

God loved the WDW Monorail system so much that he built one for heaven. Then he needed a pilot. He picked a very good one.

It is truly the highway in the sky.

Now you had to go and make me all teary-eyed.

[SandrA9810]

Wow, the monorail guy pictured in that picture is one of the guys I talked to the day after. Does any one know if he posts around here?? I felt kinda bad about how I struck up the conversation. I'm just so used to saying "long day?" to pretty much any one that looks a bit tired. Cause well that's usually how i felt at work after the first hour. He didn't seem to want to be there and was taking it rather harder than some of the others that I saw that day.

While I can be sad about something, death doesn't have the same impact on me... it's strange. Like my g'father died when I was 14 and I was very very close to him, but I never really cried about it. Stick a sad book in my hands and I can start bawling... Is that wierd? It's just hard for me to understand how others handle it.

[BRWombat]

...While I can be sad about something, death doesn't have the same impact on me... it's strange. Like my g'father died when I was 14 and I was very very close to him, but I never really cried about it. Stick a sad book in my hands and I can start bawling... Is that wierd? It's just hard for me to understand how others handle it.

I've come to believe over the years that there's no such thing as a "normal" reaction to death.

I'm a lot like you. There are movie and TV scenes that get me bawling every stinkin' time (Radar reporting Henry Blake's death in M*A*S*H, Doc Graham's last scene in Field of Dreams, not to mention "Hey... Dad? Want to have a catch?") and I get misty at many displays of patriotism or honoring the military -- just see if I can keep my eyes dry when a "missing man" formation is flown.

But at actual funerals -- and I've lost both my brothers, in addition to grandparents and a college roommate -- I'm a rock. The losses hurt, but I just naturally seem to focus on the practicalities of the situation and helping others through it. So I wouldn't lose sleep over it.