Mitch had a tough life when it came to making and keeping friends. Attachment was difficult and something that stemmed from a troubled childhood. Sure Mitch had acquaintances, but to truly rise to the level of a friend was difficult. This is something Mitch would later in life attribute to his undiagnosed autism, along with trust issues he dealt with all of his life.
When it came to going beyond friendship into relationships with women, it became even more challenging for Mitch. He would often detach from those who showed interest in him, even in his later life because of boredom. You see there was a need to be kept interested in relationships for Mitch. And it was not anyone’s fault really, it was just the way Mitch was wired. This is what also led to Mitch keeping very few people in his life, especially in his later years. He would simply forget to keep in touch with people. It was not out of spite or anything. Mitch just preferred to be alone, having to depend heavily on his own actions to sustain him. It was this way of living that often got him labeled a megalomaniac because he would elevate himself over others.
Mitch’s first love would be when he was just 7 years old. She was someone Mitch had known years earlier when their families lived near each other, but it wasn’t until they happened to live near each other again that he fell as deeply as a young child could. Sadly she was taken at a young age through a hit and run on Christmas day, as she was riding the bike her parents had got her right out front of where she lived. That was Mitch’s first real loss. It would take years for Mitch to allow himself to be in a relationship.
Mitch would have several attempts at a relationship over the course of his life after that, but none stood out as much as Kassidy. Mitch met Kassidy online and even though she lived several states away Mitch felt that she was the one he was truly meant to be with for the rest of his life. They spoke often and even sent each other emails. It seemed as if there was nothing that could come between them and nothing was off limits to talk about. Mitch became an open book to Kassidy. And even after Mitch moved back to California they kept in contact with each other.
Finally after years of talking on the phone and emailing each other, Mitch was given an opportunity to take a week off and go visit Kassidy. Sure it was a spur of the moment travel opportunity and one in which Mitch was unsure there would even be an opportunity to actually get together, but he took the chance anyways. Something he never disclosed to Kassidy though was the anxiety that would come from traveling, as he was uncertain he would even have a job to come back to after the trip. Sure the woman he was working with at the time had approved of his week off and even offered to pay for the week he had off, the fear of not having a job upon return lingered with Mitch. But he threw caution to the wind and went anyways.
As it turned out, the timing was off for them. Sure they met up twice for a brief visit as she moved from one job to another, but Mitch felt grateful for the time however brief it was to be near her. And even years later when it seemed that they were two ships sailing past each other in the night, Mitch would still hold a special place for her in his heart. In fact, it was because he did that he spent the rest of his life alone. No one could compare to the way she made him feel. Sure they kept in contact with each other, but it was never the same again. Kassidy may have never known just how big of a role she played in each decision Mitch made after their meeting, but Mitch knew she was the one that he wanted most in his life, in any way possible. She meant too much to him to let her completely slip away. For it was Kassidy that inspired Mitch to be the very best version of himself despite his life’s situation. She was on his mind even as Mitch took his very last breath.