Trask Avenue

Today Junior Seau died. He was an ex-football star who had a distinguished 20 year career in the National Football League. Most likely he will eventually – and rightfully – get inducted into that sport’s Hall of Fame. Preliminary indications are he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 43.

Ever since Twitter burst into the collective consciousness people have used it as a vehicle to express public condolences when someone of note passes away. Today was no exception. Apparently the Twitterverse was bursting with tweets regarding the death of this man. Here’s a small sample of what popped up on Twitter in the hours following this tragedy.

– Please tell me Jr Seau ain’t dead PLEASE! !!!!! – Deion Sanders
– Junior Seau’s mom crying on TV is the most sad thing you’ll see today – Jason McIntyre
– RIP Junior Seau. Life is so precious. Cherish every moment of it. – Mohamed Massaquoi
– “Today is the worst day” – Marcellus Wiley on the death of Junior Seau – J.A. Adante
– RIP Junior Seau..puts things in perspective – Eric Reid Jr.
– We must enjoy each day like its our last…RIP Junior Seau – Pierre Thomas
– RIP Junior Seau .. Idk him personally but it’s really messin with me. – TJ McDonald

Here’s what I get and what I am apparently missing.

What I get: People who knew Mr. Seau are distraught by his death. Of course they are. I’m sure they are grieving as I type this. Others who didn’t know him, but respected his athletic ability, are also shocked such a man would apparently commit suicide. Death stirs up complex emotions and makes people reflective. I understand that.

What I don’t get: Is this how we now respond to the death of person, someone who lived a life filled with struggles and success and confusion and troubles and all the other stuff that rides alongside each of us? We reduce everything – the life, the death, our reaction, our grief, our opinions – into a fucking tweet? This is honoring a person? Is that the kind of society we’ve become? Really??

I can tell you with absolute certainty if someone I knew and/or respected and/or idolized passed away the last thing that would occur to me – especially when the news was still fresh – would be to go onto Twitter to commemorate that person to the world in 140 characters or less. A life is worth more than that, isn’t it?

The cynical me wonders if tweeting when death is involved is really about the deceased. Maybe it is, sometimes. But cynical me thinks it is often about the person tweeting. Perhaps I’m out of touch, but death is not an opportunity to tell the world how you feel. Cause it ain’t about you.

If you personally knew Mr. Seau reach out to his family in a quiet, dignified manner. If you didn’t know him perhaps make an effort emulate a positive quality of his you admired. And when people ask why you are doing something in a way inspired by him, tell them you learned it from the example Junior Seau set during his life. That is paying tribute.

Resorting to Twitter may give the illusion you care, it may provide a brief outlet for your shock, but it is nothing more than vapor. Soon enough something new and totally inane will pop into your head. Back to Twitter you’ll go to share this nonsense. The instant you do that you’ve immediately pushed this man’s life into the corner. Does that sound a heartfelt way to pay respect?