Rich Man, Pough Man

“I am dying of thirst by the side of the fountain.” Charles d’Orleans

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - On Saturday November 18, 2005 18-year-old Terrell Pough was senselessly murdered. In this jaded world, I wonder whether a reader’s eyes even wince at the murder of one before turning the page. Terrell Pough’s story is distinctive so hear me out for a minute.

A single parent with custody of a toddler, Pough was recently honored this past August by People Magazine as an outstanding teenage father. As the night manager at a fast-food restaurant and student learning how to rebuild abandoned houses, the mere mention of the plurality of his vocations conjures strength, struggle, and identity. Pough was gunned down on his way home from work. Most accidents happen close to home and home is often a state of mind. Pough was shot in the head in front of his home. He might as well have been shot in the heart because I can’t imagine his final thoughts on this world as he lay dying. Pough's Honda Civic was stolen from the scene. In the cruelest of ironies, this car was actually donated by a benefactor who read the People article. The Lord giveth, some murderer takeith away.

Pough is survived by his daughter, Diamond. Somebody tell that Diamond left in the rough that her dad was a hard-nosed shinning example to all of us. A random cruelity for the ages, the very same element that Pough tried to escape from through single parenting, schooling, and employment lurked in the shadows and eventually got the best of him.

In a prophetic excerpt from that People article, Pough said, "If something ever happens to me, no one can ever tell her that her dad didn't take care of her."

Some promises are meant but can't be kept. If by happenstance I come across a ballot for Man of the Year for 2005 my write-in nomination begins with the yellow crime tape on a doorstep and ends with the name of Terrell Pough. His death may go relatively unnoticed but his life should not.

And now you may all resume regular programming in this cutthroat world. And for anyone who can’t turn a cheek, turn the page.