Though not explicitly stated, it seems like my professor suffered from alcoholism and may have committed suicide. She would've been the last person I would've guessed to be emotionally unstable and depressed. (She kept telling me about the classes she was teaching next year... helping her son apply to college in the fall... taking sabbatical the year after... how could it be suicide?)

It seems this particular manifestation of addiction and disease is especially dangerous. That is, when the addiction/disease resides in the "together" person. From the outsider's perspective, she's got it all under control. Unfortunately, she's also good at hiding her problem. No one would suspect, because, if she's got problems... then what hope is there for the rest of us? We're all slugs next to her. She can't possibly have issues... right? I have this presumption about people too. Look at him, he's IT. Look at the way he handles everything. She's got everything... the perfect life... right?

It's because I forget. We all have The Disease. And this world can really suck sometimes.

In Remembrance of Joan Fitzpatrick