August Reiger follow up

[Tanya Quisenberry]

 better understand now thanks Jeff but I will admit I got a lump in my throat ...  it doesn't sound good for him...so sad people travel and are ignorant to the dangers... He is a bright young child... I pray they find him safe... I am surprised that his parents are not more distraught they seemed void of emotion when talking about there sons disappearance... I have always said though people show emotions differently and who am I to say what is the right way to greave or show fear or......   but I would be SICK and broken and would not be able to speak without tears. They are holding up and keeping there head about them and that is for the better of there son. They are more effective that way.  I just really want him found, he has so much to offer. If anyone has any news please keep me posted.  and THANKS!

[Jeff Dunsavage]

Honestly, Tanya, it's hard to draw any conclusions from the outside. I don't want to speculate, but I wouldn't give up hope yet. As for August's parents' emotional appearance, that is something I can speak to, having lived through my brother's disappearance. After the first several hours or days of shock, you separate your emotional self from your practical self -- you have to, otherwise you'd just curl up into a useless ball and be of no help to your missing loved one or the family and friends around you. You live for weeks or months or however long in the constant tension between hope and dread, and all your "normal" coping mechanisms are subordinated to whatever it is that has been hard-wired into us to ensure that we keep going. Four years into my family's ordeal, I'm still emerging (slowly) from that vacuum.