I didn't know Daizee Angus. She wasn't somebody that grew up with my children who I got to know. I went to the wreck Friday night on County Road 4A and learned someone had been killed. I heard about the horrific details of the fatality.
At that time Friday night I didn't know whether it was a teenager or old man who had been killed, but I felt for the family who had to deal with such a tragedy right before Christmas.
It was later that night that Daizee's name began circulating through social media. I learned she was a senior at Flomaton High School. I still didn't know her; couldn't place her. I had people tell me I'd know her if I saw her because she worked at McDonald's in Flomaton. I saw her picture. I still didn't know her but I recognized her from McDonald's.
As I began talking to people about Daizee I began to know her for the first time. That's sad on my part, because from what I heard I would have liked Daizee.
I raised two children in Flomaton. I knew most of their friends. Many of them spent the night at my house at one time or another. In a small town you get to know everybody over the years. You learn to care and love others.
I've been in the newspaper business for a long time. I've covered some of the most horrific crimes and traffic accidents you can imagine. I've also covered crashes that involved people that I either knew or who were friends of my children; it's always tough.
I talked with people Tuesday who knew Daizee and there was a common theme – she always had a smile on her face and she loved everybody.
I talked with her teachers, I talked with her classmates; I learned everybody loved Daizee because Daizee loved everybody.
I've learned through my wife that teachers form a lifelong bond with their students. Many watch them grow up in their eyes from kindergarten to graduation. I remember former Superintendent Billy Hines saying one of the toughest jobs in education is when a student dies.
I talked with Michael Parker Luanne Henderson and Curt Bell who all taught Daizee. I could feel the hurt they were feeling. All three shared that same theme of Daizee being a sweet girl who always had a smile on her face and helped brighten up the day for everybody else. I learned that the bond between teacher and student goes both ways.
“You have an impact on their lives, but they also have an impact on yours,” Bell said. “You try to take something away from each student to be a better teacher.”
Bell said Daizee was one of those students who had a positive impact on many teachers in the Flomaton schools.
Her classmates and fellow employees held back the tears as they talked about Daizee Tuesday. Her death had such an impact on her fellow workers at McDonald's that the restaurant closed early Friday night because they were so shaken by the news.
Like her teachers, her classmates and fellow workers said Daizee always brought a smile to your face. When they were feeling down, Daizee would pick them up. When business was slow at night at McDonald's Daizee would begin to sing and dance to lighten up the lull time. They said her smile was contagious.
“The last time we spoke we were yelling 'I love you' back and forth in the back (of McDonald's), said Jacob Coleman. “That's just the type of person she was.”
It was obvious to me that Daizee had a positive impact on everybody she was around. Even in her death, Daizee will likely continue to have a positive impact by leaving a life-lesson behind of putting on a seatbelt. Those students I talked to knew the details; they knew Daizee wasn't wearing her seatbelt and they knew she was ejected from her vehicle.
You never forget losing a classmate or a close friend, but hopefully people will remember her every time they get in a vehicle and buckle up.
