Sometimes, it’s the little things that go unnoticed, like a bullet

I've been to some great parties in my day; hosted a few, even. One luau in particular was epic, and there are probably still a few folks sleeping in the bushes behind the house I moved out of last summer.

But none of my wing-dings compare with the one attended by Tracy Durham, of Peoria, Illinois late last week. During the course of that party, at some point, Durham was shot. And didn’t notice it.

In fact, Durham didn’t figure out he’d been shot until the following day, when a neighbor asked him why he was limping.

Now, one has to wonder exactly how one gets shot and fails to notice it. The key, I think, may be found in a line from the Associated Press story reporting the incident.

“The Peoria man (Durham)…heard a pop as he took a drink from a bottle of whiskey,” reads the article.

Aha. Now we’re getting somewhere. If you’re sucking back Jack Daniels straight from the jug, chances are you’re past the “social drinking” phase of the evening and well on your way to hollering “Yahoo!!” from the back of a pickup truck bumping down a country road.

Apparently, the shot was fired by one of Durham’s buddies after Durham commented on the fact that the aforementioned buddy’s girlfriend was somewhat less than alluring. “Ugly” is the word Durham used.

Due to the nature of the incident, some might guess Durham to be a relatively young guy, but nope, he’s 48. So there’s no “wild and crazy” kid element happening here.

By the time a man reaches his late forties, he should able to notice when he’s been shot, even if he lives in Peoria, over two hours from Chicago where people get shot all the time and are more or less used to it.

At any rate, once Durham figured out he had a bullet in his leg, he visited a local hospital to have it removed. Doctors there notified police, who questioned Durham at length.

Durham “declined to identify” the buddy that shot him. That’s loyalty. Or stupidity. One of the two, I can’t decide.

Point is, Durham took the bullet like a man; a very, very drunk man, and didn’t tattle about it later.

I can’t help but wonder why. Is he afraid he won’t get invited to any more parties where shootings are going on? Does he genuinely feel remorseful over calling his buddy’s girlfriend ugly? Or was he still feeling the effects of the previous night’s whiskey at the time of the police interview?

Seems if the cops really wanted to catch the shooter, all they’d have to do is round up the folks that attended the party and see which one has the ugliest girlfriend. Of course, with beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all that, this investigative technique might be inadmissible in court.

Personally, I figure if Durham is willing to let bygones be bygones, the county prosecutor shouldn’t waste tax dollars pursuing the issue. There are too many people who really mind getting shot. The cops should go after their shooters instead.

More Reality Check online at http://mtrealitycheck.blogspot.com or www.mlive.com. Email Mike Taylor at mtaylor325@gmail.com.