REMINDERS OF NATALEE

By Meri, Aruban Boycott Contributor


I wasn't planning to write anything for awhile but Michelle's wonderful article yesterday inspired me to do so. I can't say that I have any songs that I listen to that remind me of Natalee but there are some things that now bring her to mind when I experience them.


When I see tall, young, men who are acting cocky and smartass I think of Natalee. I saw a boy in the market the other day and he was pushing and shoving one of his friends and being a show-off. I thought of Natalee.


When I see a car like Deepak's I think of Natalee. When I watch movies on the Lifetime channel I often think of Natalee because some of the stories are similar. When I see a story on the news where someone was missing and then found and the perpetrators charged with the crime I think of Natalee. I think of how she didn't get that kind of justice on Aruba.


When I see clowns (which I have always been terrified of) I think of Natalee because they remind me of Gerald Dompig making a total ass of himself while smirking on 48 Hours. When I see my Granddaughters I think of Natalee because she was only a year older than my oldest when she disappeared. Beth is only one year older than my daughter.


When I think about my oldest Granddaughter entering her senior year of high school and the fact that she will be going to Columbia University in a city far from where we live I think of Natalee and I worry. I wonder where her senior trip will be. She went to San Francisco this past year and I thought of Natalee being away from home with her friends and a few chaperones. Fortunately, my Granddaughter came home after her trip. That made me think of Natalee also because she DID NOT come home after her trip.


When it's time for Greta and Rita to come on television I think of Natalee and wonder if they will have anything new to report. I have a copy of Dave's book on my shelf and I look at that often and of course, I think of Natalee and her family. I usually give my books away after I've read them but I couldn't do that with Dave's book. I needed to keep that one.


When I go to my mailbox on my computer I always think of Natalee because there are the blog sites and the emails that I get about her. I guess I think of Natalee a lot....I wonder if the people who made her disappear ever think of Natalee.


I wonder if they feel any remorse or guilt. I hope that they think about Natalee every single day for the rest of their lives.