Monday, February 25, 2013

Orlando, Casey Anthony and David Wright


                                                                              Photos by Christina Hyatt.

Driving through Orlando, we did not drive by the Anthony home that has become so infamous the last few years.

Always noting what one says in the negative is a good practice.  It's always important.  There is a reason someone tells you what they did not do, rather than what they did.

We did not drive by, but thought of Caylee, and how short her life was and how it was traded for the 'hot spots' of Orlando, and a chance to punish an equally narcissistic grandmother, who showed more concern over placing a cat for boarding on a weekend, than in checking to see who was actually watching Caylee.

We experienced the Orlando heat, and thought of that tiny face, drugged, and in the trunk of a car, struggling to breathe fresh air, but finding no relief.

We saw billboards that reminded us of the case, including Mark NeJame' larger than life picture. We talked about how he had kind words to say about the statement analysis of the Casey Anthony case Heather and I had worked on.  It is what we choose, deliberately,  to remember about him.

Everyone remembers Casey Anthony, and locals talk about where she might living...California, New York, and so on.

George Anthony, chronically underemployed, stopped working when Caylee died, and yet seemed to be able to make mortgage payments and feed himself.  Cindy cashed in on Caylee's blood too.  Lawyers built careers and people fought for 15 minutes of fame, even if it meant posing to 'accidentally' stumble upon a diner.

This is where Lee Anthony first introduced himself to America when he placed an ad for someone to be his 24 hour, 7 day a week, slave, of whom the applicant would have to have a college degree; something Lee thought important enough for his slave, but not for himself, a working car, a clean driver's license, and by the way, no wages whatsoever. Lee Anthony thought so highly of himself that he believed someone would take the job just to bask in his glorious presence.

You know, being a sibling to a murder might just mean a reality show.

Orlando.

Orlando remains, however, beautiful and driving past Orlando, we kept going until we reached the coast where the beach was breathtaking.

Breathtaking.

Perhaps I should consider a different word.

It was, in deed, beautiful to go from a foot of snow and temperatures well below zero,  to almost 90 degrees.  We talked about how it might be that we could get tickets to see the Mets in a Spring Training game, and, just perhaps, Sean might get David Wright's autograph. Port St. Lucie wasn't too far away when the conversation in the car is lively.

I don't know if you know what a baseball star's autograph means to an eleven year old, but it is something magical.  I think some of you know exactly what I am trying to express:  that wonder and amazement at that which seems bigger than life itself:  major league baseball stars, from Willie Mays coming to the NY Mets in 1972 to join Tom Seaver, right up to RA Dickey's journey from victim to survivor.  Would it be possible to get David Wright's autograph for Sean?

"Dad, we forgot to stop at a store and get a ball for David to sign!" Sean reminded me as we walked into Tradition Field, in Port St. Lucie.

"It'll work out. Things have a way of working out, Sean", I told him, hoping that it would.  If I say it, does it make it so?  I whispered a quiet prayer hoping it would, in deed, work out for him.

One of the Nationals players flipped Sean a baseball for being so polite, or so I like to think.

In a few minutes, Sean came back to his seat, his heart pounding.  David Wright signed his hat and his glove, and spoke to Sean for a few minutes.

"What did you say to him, son?"

"Thank you", Sean said.

Caylee would be old enough now to enjoy Spring Training and know what it means to get an autograph in 2013.

She'll never know the joy.

She'll never perform in a dance recital, or go to a junior prom, or be a bride's maid, go to college, or be privileged to be a parent.

Casey made certain of these things.

Caylee will never know the boundless joy of being a child, amazed at the wonders of God's earth.

Yet it is that George, Cindy, Lee and Casey will never have to work a honest day in their lives, for Caylee will provide for them, though she, herself, will never be thrilled with having her breath taken away at an autograph, or an evening walk in the beach.

Casey made certain that only she, Casey, would take away Caylee's breath,

and never return it.

Thank you, David Wright, for doing something better than most everyone else on the planet, while taking the time to make an eleven year old boy smile, and give him something to tell his grandchildren about.

Orlando has moved on, and there are those who don't feel the same sting they felt when the bitterness of injustice shocked the senses in the manipulated verdict that had followed perjury under oath.

"So help me, God", said Cindy Anthony, adding to the oath the emphasis, setting her feet to slide in the appointed time by employing the Name in vanity.

Until then, however, the sun will shine upon the beautiful beaches and life will go on for most of us.

Caylee is not forgotten, even as we drove through her hometown.  David Wright helped me, as a father, not think about the murder, for a few hours today, of which I am grateful.

I am grateful.

35 comments:

Tania Cadogan said...

A gorgeous picture i can see bare knees and ankles :)

dadgum said...

Deception!!!


Orlando is in central Florida..not on the coast..though you never said you were at the beach, picture implies this is the case..

Tania Cadogan said...

Lookie, no snow, methinks you are in warmer climes

Sus said...

Aw...I'm getting ready for my second round of 10+ inch blizzard. Thanks for rubbing it in.

Apple said...

Haha, Dadgum! That's true!

JerseyJane said...

The red-winged blackbirds are back, the geese left, just waiting for my groundhog to dig his way out, then it Spring!!!

Anonymous said...

Jealous. :P

BostonLady said...

That pic is not from Orlando since Orlando is not located on the ocean. Perhaps a Florida beach you visited while in Orlando? Either way, it looks gorgeous.

It's supposed to snow again on Wednesday here. boooo

shmi said...

Nice! Enjoy yourselves!

Anonymous said...

"We experienced the Orlando heat"

You should try experiencing it with hoodies. It is all the rage there. Especially this time of the year.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

We did have a chuckle when a group of kids pulled up next to us and gunned the engine:

they were all wearing hoodies!

It was way too hot for them!

Statement Analysis Blog said...

BL,

we met a family from Boston who were fleeing from the snow!

yes, we drove through Orlando to the beach areas...

~ABC said...

Gorgeous photography! The silhouette image is stunning.

dadgum said...

Who took the picture?
Clancy!!

sidewalk super said...

Ah, baseball again!


SAME GENERAL TOPIC:
Apparently lawyers from the arias case are following the talk shows (Velez-Mitchell is one), looking for ways to help their client.
By extension, I'm thinking their people will be reading here as well. Ugh!

John Mc Gowan said...

OT.

Kidnap Fear For California Couple Missing In Peru
A search is underway for the tourists, who have not been in touch with their families since setting off on a long mountain trip.10:48am UK, Tuesday 26 February 2013
Jamie Neal, 27, (L) and Garrett Hand, 25, pictured on a Facebook appeal

A California couple have gone missing while on a cyciing trip in a remote area of Peru that is prone to kidnapping attempts.

Families of the couple, Garrett Hand and Jamie Neal, said they last heard from them on January 25, a day before they were expected to arrive in Lima.

Friends and relatives fear they may have been abducted.

"There's a part of me that thinks someone has taken them," Ms Neal's sister Jennifer told Fox News.

They were on a journey of several hundred miles from Cusco, in the country's mountainous interior southeast of the capital.

"Embassy officers are ... in close contact with Peruvian authorities who are working diligently to find Mr Hand and Ms Neal," US Embassy officials in Lima said.

The pair live together in Oakland, California, east of San Francisco.

"My worries are pretty great," said Mr Neal's boss, Jeff Jerge.

"They had been corresponding fairly regularly, and it ceased that day."

Friends are appealing for help via Facebook and other social media
No money has been withdrawn from either's bank accounts since, he added.

Their disappearance coincides with a US Embassy warning to foreign tourists near Cusco and the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu of a potential kidnapping threat at the hands of Maoist Shining Path rebels.

But American officials stressed there was no direct connection between the travel alert and the disappearance.

There have been local unconfirmed sightings of the couple from Peruvian police and the Arcoiris ecological community in the Amazon.

Arcoiris told Reuters that the couple stayed there for five days before departing by boat on a river journey to Ecuador on February 16, three weeks after their families said they received their last communication from the pair.

Mr Hand and Ms Neal originally intended to bicycle from the San Francisco Bay area to South America through Mexico, but friends concerned about security in Mexico persuaded the couple to fly to South America and start their trip there instead.

Family members and friends of the pair have begun collecting money to offer as a reward, and are looking to get flyers with pictures of the couple and information about them distributed in Peru.http://news.sky.com/story/1057149/kidnap-fear-for-california-couple-missing-in-peru

Anonymous said...

Have you heard of this case? Horrifically sad:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2013/01/15/dontrell-melvin-case_n_2479472.html

Unknown said...

Thank you for this, Peter. Beautifully written.

Caylee will always be in my heart, the gorgeous little girl, never forgotten. In all of our hearts - those of us who cared enough about her to pray and hope everyday that justice would be served.
Someday....

Most Sincerely,
Meag

dadgum said...

Janine Driver (?) a body language expert, has been a guest on the Dr. Drew show during the Arias trial.. I think it was Friday. She commented on the high value of SA, and explained the 25/50/25 rule. We may have new folks visiting..I'll start the coffee..

Anonymous said...

Welcome to Florida I've lived here since 1974 and thought I'd never get accustomed to the heat,and I haven't.
What a great parent you are.
Beautiful comments about Caylee brought tears to my eyes

Now my views on KC.

She will never know real freedom as we know freedom.
Never have a decent man to love her,no real family and friends who love and care about her. She has shown no interest in her education so she'll never hold a job that is rewarding and gives her the feeling of purpose and accomplishment.
She will always be remembered as "the most hated woman in the world". A woman who without concern for anyone but KC and absolutely no remorse,murdered her beautiful daughter. She was and will remain a uneducated,unemployed loser. She will never hold a job that gives her the feeling of accomplishment,and contributes in some small way to society. Each of us in some way make a contribution to others in this life,some who love,and show it and some who don't,like the entire Anthony family and the Jodie Arias' of the world.
I could almost feel sorry for them,they have taken a life and missed so much that might have been their own.

BostonLady said...

Beautiful article Peter. I felt what you were expressing with your words. The photos that Christina took could be professional ! I'm glad David was able to get his autograph which made his visit. I remember when my sons were that age and we went to Universal and Disney World. They could barely contain their excitement at all they were experiencing. They still talk about the vacation, now as young adults.

I'm glad your family was able to make positive memories even though there were some sad circumstances which surrounded Orlando. It isn't fair that Caylee's family prospers while she pays for all.

Vita said...

Beautiful pics of family in Florida.

Sean "Spring Training" to meet, greet and speak with his baseball hero, a once in a life time. The signing of his hat and glove. Yes, he will tell his grandchildren. I recall being Sean's age and my dad taking my brother and I to the local collage University.

To watch the Detroit Lions' train, Spring Training yes it was. They training, I sat and watched these HUGE MEN not only go through the ropes but to scrimmage. This in the 70's. Us to be of a small audience, privately invited. Then to have them come up to my brother and I to talk to us. Billy Sims one of Detroit's greatest players in that era. He known for trampolining himself on the field, to score Touch downs. He took off his sock and signed it and handed it to my brother. I will never forget my brother's face. We did not know where our dad was taking us, had we known we would have brought something for the guys to sign. We were invited back and yes we brought a football. We gained signatures from some of the most famous now retired Detroit Lions. This when the Lion's played at Tiger Stadium, yes I am dating myself.
--
Caylee coming through into your traveling, Orlando. Must have been surreal to see the billboards of Nejame. A snap back reminder taking you back to the beginning of the not yet court room.

All I can say is " All that glitters is not Gold" and this goes both ways, as it has polarity. Sean meeting David Wright, was of gold, not glitter. You all driving, witnessing the billboards, through the streets of Orlando. " glitter"

Caylee is not a sports figure, is not a celebrity made attorney. Caylee is not a souvenir or trinket for visitors of Orlando.

Caylee is in the sunset, the salt ocean water, she is of the beauty within the pic of Peter and Heather. She is not to be forsaken. She by her little self created so much positive over the negative that was done to her by her own flesh and blood. Had she lived and none of this had happened, she too could have been standing next to Sean. A smile so big, that nothing else mattered.

Thank you PH for sharing your personal journey, your vacation with us.

Ms. Christina has a calling, yes she has the eye, Photography.

Vita said...

Dadgum' I saw Ms. Driver on Dr. Drew last week. She is yes of theory using Statement Analysis and she incorporates body language in her studies.

I looked her up online.
Her website http://www.lyintamer.com/

Her website bothers me. It reminds me of the woman psychic, Sylvia Browne, Montel Williams regular guest. It is overtly candy coated sensationalism at it's finest. Which makes me wonder of Driver's credit to the study itself.

She did use S.A. last week on Dr. Drew within a panel, Arias trial. Mark Eiglarsh was skeptic and then was wishy washy upon Driver's said analysis. He to question where it stood in the actual " Court Room".
-
Thank you D for bringing her up. I forgot and wanted to mention here, that she is on Dr. Drew as an analyst of Jodi Arias.

Shayna said...

The ONLY positive thing I can say for the egg and sperm donors in poor Dontrell's death is that they didn't pull a "someone kidnapped my child from their room" like the lying "parents" of Lisa Irwin, Trenton Duckett, Ayla Reynolds, Isabel Celis, Haleigh Cummings, Aaliyah Lunsford, Jhessye Shockley and so many others. Where are these children buried? I picture so many desolate shallow graves no one ever visits or mourns. So sad, especially when those who seem to not WANT children are blessed with multiple.

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