I came across this website by accident while checking the placement of my firms site. I found a message posted from an old friend of mine, Jackson N., where he lamented: ?I think about the wonderful people who have disappeared from my life.? Having never seen this site before, or even attempted to do any internet searches on the CEDU topic, I have to say that I spent some time over the last couple days reading what has been posted, and felt as though I needed to post my own message in hopes to reach out to Jackson and the other people who have disappeared from my life.
I was sent to CEDU around 15 years ago, at age 17, and as a senior in high school. I spent just under 2 ½ years there, most of the time wishing I wasn?t there. I had several excursions from the campus without the permission of the staff, the farthest took me all the way to Colorado. But all in all, after all considerations, I ultimately choose to stick through the program and see where it took me.
The thing that hurt me the most about being at CEDU, while I was there and also for a period of time after, was loosing my friends, the ones I had since 1st grade, the ones that I planed on going to college with, and growing old with. By the time I graduated CEDU my childhood friends were scattered all over America in various colleges and states, all in their junior years. It was hard to catch up, so I made my own way after CEDU, went to the University of Miami, FL and then to law school. I started my life anew, making new friends along the way, and what I found out is that as I grew older my childhood friends started to move back to Chicago, and the ones that didn?t move back would come back and visit. Time had a way of healing and making things right.
So here I am, back in Chicago with new friends and old. After a four year relationship I am engaged to my best friend with a wedding coming up in June 2005. I have a nice law practice where I concentrate solely on criminal defense. I dabble in the restaurant/nightclub/bar business, mostly just for the fun of it. I spend most of my summers on my boat on Lake Michigan and most of my winters counting the days until summer. I really don?t have anything much to complain about. My family is all healthy and well. I wake up happy everyday.
About the CEDU experience I am not going to express my opinion either way, as in reading the messages posted on this website and reading the conflicting views I don?t feel that my opinion would make much difference to anyone. My purpose for this email is to say hello and hopefully reestablish a connection with some people after allowing too much time to escape us.
I am saddened by the deaths of people I knew and those who I considered friends. My heart truly goes out to them and their families.
I thank Jackson for reaching out for me in his message, as I also wish to hear from people whose faces I haven?t seen in ages. I remain close and have frequent contact with only a couple CEDU graduates, namely Dustin F., and Brad V.. I have over the years had sight contact with others, Charles B., Amanda T., Carrie B.. But there are others whose names whisper in my head every now and again and I hope and pray they are doing well in life. Justin L., Pat S., Nat W., David Y., David P., Lily M., Matt D., Bobby D., Shannon K., and many others?
I leave only this message: I miss you and hope your lives are all that you dreamed they could be.
Love, David O.
