Chester Morton
The memorial of Chester Morton continued with his uncle’s words: “Halloween was Chester’s favorite holiday. I’m sure we all remember his wonderful costumes and theatrical talents. This year, he wore a Wookie mask at the Halloween party … actually, it looked more like Wookie’s vagabond cousin.” The crowd giggled softly. “Chester wished that he could wear a mask on the other 364 days. He felt more relaxed and confident when he was wearing one because no one could see him and judge him.” The crowd nodded silently. “I remember when Chester was born,” his uncle said. “He popped out with lots of hair on his head, and then slowly and steadily grew more. “Many of the kids at school were brutal. They made ape-like gestures when they passed him accompanied by ape-like sounds. They posted hurtful words on social media and made up stories about him. He cried in his room every night.” The crowd sat quietly. “As the years went by, Chester’s hair kept growing. But, on Halloween, Chester could be anyone he wanted. When he wore the Wookie mask in public this year, the mask hair was automatically accepted and was even entertaining. It was very confusing for him. “Even so, the Wookie mask quickly became his favorite Halloween costume because, as he told me, ‘No one would ever bully a Wookie!’” |
The crowd erupted in spurts of laughter as the second speaker came to the podium. “We are here today to remember Chester Morton. This young man couldn’t seem to figure out how to be in this world. He went down the rabbit hole of being born different, experiencing bullying, developing low self-esteem, managing chronic depression, taking a number of medications, having thoughts of suicide, and finally acting on those thoughts. This cycle is a familiar and heartbreaking pattern in our young-adult world today.” A heaviness hung in the room, and the crowd let out a big sigh. “Chester was my patient. He had a beautiful soul, but he was reluctant to share it with anyone. He had been mistreated for a very long time and had few positive experiences in his short life. I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about.” The crowd nodded in agreement. “Doctors walk a tricky tightrope. We use medications to help those who suffer from depression; however, these meds sometimes cause suicidal thoughts in vulnerable patients. This is what happened to Chester.” A few more people spoke (but not Chester’s parents), and the memorial came to an end. As the crowd inched out of the building, they murmured and cried to each other, sharing stories about this young man. In his own way, Chester had made a huge impact on the community. As Chester’s mother left the church, she took the picture that had been placed beside her son’s coffin. Chester’s father trailed behind his wife, his head hung low. From Carpet Creatures: Tales from the Deep Pile To join the Carpet Creatures project, please visit our TAE Gallery website. |
