Background Noise

Ages ago, I sent my cousin, Bradford, a happy birthday e-Mail. He and I had not communicated in a while, but I wanted him to know that I still wished him well. The next day I got the terse reply, "Fuck You."

There is about a 12 to 14 year difference between Bradford and I. It would certainly be fair to say that there is a generational gap. However, I don't think there was ever a time when it was appropriate to respond to a perfectly polite e-Mail with vulgarity. I will admit to being a little hurt at first, as well as confused. Was his reply a critique of the poem that I had selected or the font? Perhaps he resented the fact that I communicated with black font as opposed to something more multi-cultural?

Regardless, his message, while blunt, was certainly clear. I immediately set up a rule to send all future e-Mail messages from him to my trash can, and forwarded his e-Mail on to my best friend as an example of why I avoid most family functions.

I received an e-Mail from another cousin, Terri, a few days ago. Bradford is in jail on drug-related violations (prescription medications). His spending time in prison is a certainty. Only the length of the sentence is in question.
I am sorry that my bright, young cousin has gone down the same path of addiction that took his father away from our family. Knowing that he did not kick his drug habit after all definitely puts his earlier e-Mail into perspective.