She is married with 3 kids and seemingly very happy with where she is in life!

We are still FB friends and have talked a few times over the years, but you’re right, I should tell her!

When I was 15, I told a girl that she should audition for the elite choir at our school (she was very talented). She said she would audition if I would audition (I had no vocal talent) but I auditioned and being one of the only males I got in. I fell in love with singing, worked my ass off, went to college on a vocal scholarship and now 20 years later I am the vocal coach for the largest theatre in our state. That little moment, which she probably doesn’t even remember, changed my entire life trajectory.

Sure, but I am a teacher, and if 2,500 people were killed in my area in three months, I wouldn’t stick around.

The article also says that gangs are responsible for 2,500 deaths between January and March alone. There’s no amount of knowledge that was going to keep these people safe. And the truth is, religion can lead to fool-hardiness quite quickly, and I say that as someone who was raised in the church. Their deaths are tragic, but also avoidable.