March 20, 2015
Best Man
When you get married, your best man is someone you have usually known for a long time. You have a history of shared experiences (good and bad). It is someone who knows your faults and weaknesses and despite that knowledge, is still your friend through thick and thin. I got married to the love of my life 29 years ago. My best man (Stu) was a great guy. We shared a common “Lets do it” attitude, which led to many great times and some rough times as well. Notable shared events included setting the world toboggan speed record (Being towed by a pickup truck) at Black Lake, Michigan. There was also the famed flotilla incident which I will not discuss to protect the guilty.
Stu moved away from the Detroit area to pursue his career. We stayed in touch but time and distance eroded the closeness we once shared. We were still good friends, just good friends who lived in different cities who saw each other once or twice a year.
Prior to charges being filed against me in my case, I contacted Stu to let him know about my situation. He was shocked and disappointed. However, He did say He was still with me and closed an email with “brothers forever”.
After I arrived at prison, I wrote a letter to Stu to tell him about prison life. He did not reply. I waited another month and sent him a second letter thinking the first letter failed to reach him. I did not receive a reply to my second letter.
It appears that I have lost my “Best Man”. This is simply another consequence of my poor choices and bad acts. Being friends with someone who has committed a crime is a difficult thing to do. Many people do not want to suffer the ridicule and embarrassment of being friends with someone like me. I completely understand why people might feel that way. However, understanding does not ease the pain of losing friends. Bad choices, Bad consequences.
Ken Flaska
