Sometimes it hurts to remember, but sometimes that's all you can do. Today marks the anniversary of the death of Sean Taylor, former safety of the Washington Redskins. The reason I wanted to blog about this is that it makes me realize how much sports stars somehow become important people in my life, even when I do not know the athlete personally. For example, if I were to hear a news report about a factory worker in Washington who was murdered during a robbery, I would feel sympathetic for s moment and be disgusted by the actions of the armed robbers, but I would quickly forget the incident. The story of Sean Taylor, however, struck a chord with me emotionally when the story first broke. Did I know him? No. He was a talented star coming out of the University of Miami, drafted 5th overall and was a freak athlete. I hate Miami, and I'm not a fan of the Redskins. I had no interest in the player, just as I would have no interest in a factory worker from Washington.

Why this murder seemed to impact me emotionally is something of a mystery. His house was broken into twice, and the second time, unfortunately, he and his family were home. He was shot in the leg, as I assume the thief meant only to injure, but the bullet it an artery and he died the next day. He had family members hiding under a bed nearby who witnessed the occurrence. I shouldn't feel any more upset about this than I would for any other murder, but the story on ESPN got my attention and made me feel pretty sad. Sports stars just seem, for whatever reason, like they are more important. I knew the name, and I knew his story. He was an innocent man killed for no reason, and it cut a talented safety's life short. I can't explain exactly why the life of a football player seems more important to me than the life of a middle-class worker, as it's not like I could choose between them if I wanted to. The story merely interested me more than the countless stories of murders you read or here about worldwide. I don't know why, that's just how it is. May be it's because he was young and successful, but even then the families of the lost would still feel equal pain and sorrow. Whatever the reason, RIP Sean Taylor and RIP all of the deceased.