The following is my grandson Jack Roddey’s Journal, an 8th grade class assignment. It’s the last thing we have of him. It was found when they cleaned out his locker.
He was shot and killed Jan. 16, 2009. A big part of our life ended that day. He was 14 and a sweet kind boy who visited us monthly, usually for the weekend.
This is my feeble, but ultimately futile effort to keep him alive by posting his final words on my blog to bring him back briefly for those who knew him. Or to bring him to life for those who didn’t.
With his personality and gifts, his potential was unlimited. He had been on the honor roll consistently and made the distinguished honor roll his last marking period. His parents found this out just before his viewing at the funeral home.
He was a great kid! Here’s Jack Thomas Roddey.
Jack Roddey period 4
Things I am Thankful for
I am extremely thankful for a bunch of things. I am thankful for not being poor. I am thankful for having shelter. I am thankful for Thanksgiving.
I am appreciative for my family being alive. They help m when I need help. They care for me when I’m sick. The are always there for me no matter what I do or how
dim-witted it is. They love and care for me and teach me wrong from right. They defend me from harm. They just flat out love me. J
I am thankful for having food and drinks. I never go hungry in my house. It is impossible. We constantly have food. I never thirst either. We ceaselessly have drinks and running water. I am happy and thankful for that because there are people out there that can’t come up with the money for food and running water.
I am thankful for not being deprived of money. My parents have jobs so that we don’t have to depart to a poor house. I earn money by doing chores. I buy loads of unnecessary things with my money.
I am thankful for having shelter over my head. It protects me from the scorching hot sun in the summer. It protects me from the freezing weather in the winter. It protects me from the rain and the snow. I love having a roof to sleep under at night.
I am thankful for Thanksgiving. I love seeing all of my family. I like the mountains of food that are on the table. I love thanksgiving turnkey. J I love having conversations with family associations I haven’t seen for months. I like to eat till I can’t eat no more. I like sleeping after the big meal. I like getting away from school for thanksgiving. I like going to family members houses for gigantic thanksgiving meals.
Jack Roddey
September 2nd
My favorite thing this summer was going to Hershey Park at the end of the summer. I took one of my friends and we rode a bunch of rides together. The best thing we rode was the Ferineheight roller coaster. My friend really was freaking out on it. When it started going up she started screaming and swearing and my parents just stared at her while this was all happening. It was the best rollercoaster I’ve ever rode and I plan on riding it every time I go to Hershey Park. The one time we waited in line for a long time like an hour and right when we were about to get on it broke down so it was depressing. I rode every roller coaster there at least once. It is a good place to go with friends and family. I can’t wait for the class field trip there at the end of the year.
September 5th
My Future plans are to get good enough grades so I can get a scholarship to some college so I can go to college and be able to afford it. Maybe I’ll get a really good paying job and be rich and be famous for doing something. I will live as long as I can. I will try to do something important. Of course I will try to win the lottery.
September 10th
I get everyone I can to be my friend. I have friends in a 7th 8th 9th ,and 10th grade. It is good to have as many friends as possible. I have so many friends because I like having friends to help me when I need help. The more friends the better social life you have.
September 15
I get on the internet and play some games. I play PS2 or Wii. I go hangout with my friends under the bridge and hangout for hours. I like to talk to people on the phone. I also like going over to someone’s house and hangout there for a couple hours.
September 18
I would hate to give up ice-cream and popsicles. In the summer they are helpful for cooling down. Popsicles are good for walking around town and places like that. Ice cream is better for when your sitting at home on a hot summer day. I love trying new flavors of ice-cream and popsicles.
September 23
If I won the lottery I would give a lot to charity. I would buy good company’s to get more money. I would spend a about 10,000 dollars a month. 1 million dollars a year to charity. Things like the Red Cross and important people like that would get a lot a money. I would definitely go to the best college.
9/26/08
My dad’s side of the family is crazy. We don’t have much money but we have enough to get by. We have all kinds of family get togethers. My family isn’t embarrassing like most families. Tomorrow we are having a get together and are playing cards and having fun. All of my family likes different types of music.
10/1/08
We don’t have any house rules. This is because we’ve never needed any because I use common sense. Also I’m always somewhere that isn’t home. I’m only home long enough to eat and do homework. That is why there are no house rules.
10/6/08
Some things that make me happy is hanging out with friends. Waking up alive each morning. Having my memory and free will. Not being poor. Having a family where most people are still alive.
10/14/08
There is no one I want to meet. I don’t have any idols. I have no goals in life. Well there is one person I want to meet but that isn’t till I’m like 100. That is Jesus and God.
10/17/08
My birthday is my favorite holiday. It isn’t a national holiday but without it I wouldn’t be alive. All of my friends and family celebrate it. I love getting presents and money. My birthday is on October 26. I can’t wait. J
10/22/08
If I could do anything in computer class it would be getting on stuff like myspace. We would still learn how to type. That is how I learned most of my typing skill. Sending message and IM each other helps with typing and reading. It is a good way to learn to type and to meet new people.
10/27/08
Over the weekend I did a lot. On Friday I went to this really dumb dinner then went over to the football game. On Saturday day I went to the field of screams. It was really scary. Yesterday was my birthday and I went to Hershey Park in the Dark.
Jack Roddey
Marking Period 2
10/30/08
I want to write about computers. They are very helpful with information and research. You can find anything on the internet. You can to talk to friends. You can play fun games also.
11/4/08
I am thankful for waking up in the morning and not being dead. I’m glad that no one in my family that was alive when I was born is dead. I’m thankful for having a house. I’m thankful for having food to eat and liquids to drink. I’m thankful for having a perfect Earth.
11/10/08
I don’t have plans yet for thanksgiving. I’ll probably eat a big dinner. I’ll probably see some family members. I’ll sleep in every day. I’m sure there will be some party that I’ll be going to.
11/13/08
Today I want to talk about people’s attitudes and people lying. Never let a friend borrow money even if they promise to pay you back. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!!! Why are people always blaming me and yelling at me? I asked a friend “Can you move please? I need to sit down.” Then he called me rude! I hate people like that.
11/21/08
The 4-sight tests aren’t exactly, Fun. The reading one is the one I don’t like. I don’t like reading things that don’t interest me. I like the math ones better because we can use calculators. Math is my best subject.
11/26/08
My favorite school “subject” is lunch. It is a time in the middle of the day that we can relax. We get to talk to friends without worrying about getting in trouble. We get to go outside and hangout. It is the only real “fun” time of school.
12/5/08
The best thing I did over break was everything. On thanksgiving I ate 2 full plates of food. I went to the movies and saw “Role Models”. It was funny. I hung out with family. Of course I went hunting.
Jack Roddey
MP2-2
12/10/08
If I could fly I would all the time. I would fly places instead of walking or driving. I would help people. I would visit my relatives in England a lot more. I haven’t seen them forever.
12/18/08
I don’t have a new year’s resolution. Maybe I should get into shape. I don’t know. I never really pick one. I don’t know what I’ll do.
1/8/09
My holiday break was great. I hung out with friends. I got everything I asked for on Christmas. I was at my one friend’s house on new years. We stayed up till 4 or 5 am. I had a lot of fun during the holidays.
1/12/09
I don’t know what to write about. I like free topics days but I never can decide what to write. It is easier when you give us a topic. I don’t know how to get 5 sentences out of nothing but I’m doing it. Good-bye.
Jack was killed in a friend’s house a block or so away from his home four days later. His last word in his journal, as you can see, was Good-bye.
Goodbye, my sweet sweet goofy barefoot boy (he’d always take his shoes and socks off the minute he was inside a house).
Jackson, we will always miss you and love you so much till the day we die,
Granddad and Nancy
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5 comments:
I Miss Jack Dearly, As Im Sure Others Do. He Was A Great Person & Would Do Anything For Anyone. He Wasnt Greedy Or Rude, He Was Kind, Compassionate & Caring. He Had A Pure Mind. He Used To Make My Sister & I Laugh Like CRAZY With All His Silly Sound Effects & Goofy Voices. I Still Wonder Who Hed Be Today, And I Will Keep Him In My Heart Forever.
I dont even know what to say, Jack was a bestfriend, and a brother to me! He was family, I will never foregetthe momories we had, Going to troff creek and seeing the balancing rock or how bout hearing the underwatter electric currancy... Or how we used to play the DS all the time when u came to my uouse or how bout all those fun summers of chasin bad guys down the street while babysittin cause the neighbors side swiped a car!! Or even just playin the x box together even tho one oftye controllers didnt even work to begin with... I knew there was a reason u always won that game.. Welp im gunna rap this up because my sister did most of the talkin that i needed to cover...thanx sis (dollface17044)
Hey Jack. reading all this made me feel, well i guess there isnt a word for the emotion i felt. Its robbie, your cousin from England. It really hurts when i think how little time we had together cuz. i never got to be the older cousin who, i dont know, you could talk to about girls and stuff. ill never have the chance to buy you a beer, or impart on you some cheesy but necessary wisdom on life. The whole family was devestated whan they heard, even almost a year on now and it still feels like yesterday when we were told, i dont know if these scars will heal, but i know the memories will stick with me forever. i saw your grandma recently and she is still finding it very hard to cope without you, as are we all. through this tradgedy i find myself not being too upset, because in the end i know, as should everyone who ever met you, that whatever cosmic, heavenly or other craziness you're up to now, your're having fun with it, thats a safe bet. ill extend my thanks to your Grandad Bill for making this blog so that i could speak my peace in a way that wont be lost. Jesus im getting a bit teary here. ill see you again some day little dude, love you. miss you always. Rob xxx
Jack, i hadnt seen in a while before you left us and it saddens me to think that i will never get to know the little man you were growing up to be. Ive gone my whole life missing you as ive never been able to see you as much as i wanted, but now i know i cant it pains me even more. I will always remember you as the little kid who loves Sponge Bob, computer games and quoting cartoon characters to make me laugh. I shall never forget you love from your cousin Megan in England xoxoxox
Thank you Bill for this opportunity. x
Hello, I am Olivia Tunall. Jack and I were best friends growing up. We always lived, at most, a block away from each other growing up, it was uncanny for as much as the two of us seemed to move. I think about him a lot, he was so funny and we always found things to do no matter what. We were young and care free and I have the best memories with him. Both my family and I loved him so much. I know it's been a long time but I decided to google his name tonight and see what I could find. I loved having the opportunity to be able to read this. Thank you so much for giving people the chance to read about Jack. He was one of my best friends and the funniest. He'll forever be in, both, my familys' and my heart.
~Olivia Tunall~
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