THE DEATH OF CHIMINGA DOMINGUEZ

My dear friend Chiminga Dominguez died recently. She had been despondent and depressed for quite some time. Sadly, most of those who knew her were blind to her pain, even after she spoke up and expressed it several times, both in person and in emails. She reached out to those who said they were her friends; she asked for help; she shared her exhaustion. But few listened. Even fewer heard her soulful cries for help. These so called friends had promised they would help her, only to abandon her when she actually asked. Some even criticized her for asking. That truly broke Chiminga’s heart.

And so, feeling completely helpless, hopeless and abandoned, Chiminga threw herself in front of an Army tank while the people she had come to love and serve watched from the sidelines. As she lay bleeding to death on the hot pavement in the blistering sun, they stood around talking about themselves. No one lifted a finger to save her. No one ran to her side to administer aid. In fact, some simply laughed and said good riddance.

Everyone may not miss Chiminga, but I, for one, will miss her spirit and her soul. She cared more than she should. She gave more than she got with nary a thank you or word of appreciation or gratitude from those from whom she needed it most. In the end, her death is their loss.

May you finally rest in peace my friend.