In this episode, I am a whirling dervish, running around, taking charge, being ‘all hero,’ and conveying my ever-growing hotness. But this time, the spotlight belongs to Stanley, my ‘brother’ through childhood, my brother-in-arms through nuclear disaster.
It’s said that still waters run deep, and that’s an apt description for Stanley. Strong, moral, no-nonsense, solid as an oak, Stanley has always quietly taken care of his business and his responsibilities, but still shown the humor, charm and optimism that makes him such a reliable friend to everyone. He’s always been a rock, especially to Bonnie, but when that love of his life was taken from him, it stirred something in those deep waters, and it took Stanley to a place from which he can never return. It’s a dark place, and for him, it makes me afraid.
Would I have liked to been the one to wrap my hands around Goetz’s murdering throat? How many of us would have stood in line for the honor? But that honor belonged to Stanley. Right or wrong, he deserved the shot (no pun intended) at avenging Bonnie’s death and removing the evil that’s been responsible for who-knows-how-many cold-blooded killings in Jericho, Rogue River, New Bern and beyond.
But, like Hawkins said, the world is different today since Goetz’s dead body hit the ground. I fully understand the implications for all of us, and especially the implications for me.
There comes a point, however, when the cost is too great to simply stand by and watch everything you know and love be destroyed by a force that’s inherently evil. There comes a point when you join forces and stand up to the evil – no matter what the personal cost – for the greater good. I’ve done my share of things for which I’m not proud when I worked for Jennings & Rall, but with everything that’s in me, I will not allow myself to disintegrate into a Goetz. There has to be a difference between him and me.
Do I wish Stanley had made a different decision? Yes. Do I fault him for what he did to Goetz? No, because without question, it was termination for cause. Yes, there will be consequences. There are consequences to every action – you understand that, and you take responsibility for them the best you can….OR you join forces and take responsibility together. In Jericho, it is not every man for himself. We can’t allow ourselves to become a New Bern. We will take the road less traveled. We rise and fall as one.
That’s where we headed, and I, for one, embrace it.
- Posted By Welcome2Cho
