This is the second article that I wrote for my company's newsletter to share my experience with all our customers here at Trakware. This may seem like an odd thing to share with a customer but I feel there are many lessons to be learned from all the stories posted here about Austin and how he lived his life.

Here's second my article:

WHAT I LEARNED FROM AUSTIN

As you may have read in my last newsletter, my son died last month in Chicago. He had left his apartment, probably to watch a large thunderstorm pass over the city, and disappeared. After a six day search, his body was recovered from the lake.

Once Austin was found, many stories from his friends and classmates started flowing in to a website we’d built to assist in the search.

As a father in a very close family, I thought I knew my son pretty well. But as I’m sure you all can remember from when you were young, we don’t reveal everything about ourselves to our parents, friends, classmates or lovers. Each person knows a different side of us.

Reading these stories has allowed us to see all the facets of our son and to really appreciate the impact he had on
everyone who knew and loved him.

And in reading these stories, my son taught me many things about how to live a richer life.

BE WHO YOU ARE
From his love of classical music, to his too-short pants and bright white socks, Austin didn’t care what people’s opinions
of him were. Austin enjoyed being exactly who he was. How often do we hide parts of ourselve’s so we can “fit in” rather than be who we are?

BE JOYFUL IN LIFE
Story after story remarks on Austin’s ever present smile, enthusiasm, and positive attitude. He had those because he always looked for the best in people and in experiences. How many people do you know who always look for the negative in people or situations? There is no courage or joy in pessimism.

LOVE LEARNING
Austin took a joy in learning new things, be it from chasing us around with sidewalk chalk at age 2 to learn the alphabet, to attending a university with a broad required curriculum, Austin wanted to know everything about everything and would work hard to do it. Learning is growth. What new knowledge have you challenged yourself with recently?

LOVE TO TEACH
Austin’s love of learning and joy in knowledge led him to enthusiastically tutor other students in his classes. For him, concepts were cool and he loved working with people until their eyes lit up and they “got it” too. What passions do you have that you could teach others?

EMBRACE NEW EXPERIENCES
Austin said “yes” much more than he said “no” to new experiences. He’d try everything at least once to see if he enjoyed it rather than rejecting opportunities out of hand. How easy it is to say “That sounds like too much work” and then turn on the TV to have yet another unremarkable day.

CREATE TIME FOR YOUR FRIENDS
Austin was always available to his friends. If a friend needed his time, but he had to study that day as well, he’d
simply skip sleeping. I know my circle of friends is much smaller now as I’m often too busy or too tired to make time
for them.

AUSTIN ALWAYS WANTED THE BEST FOR PEOPLE
From trying to entice a homeless man into a free YoYo Ma cello concert, to gently steering his friends to follow their
passions in picking a career path (and not their parent’s), to helping a competitor with a tricky concept BEFORE a
competition. Austin always wanted everyone to be their best selves. We so often see life as a zero-sum game where
someone’s gain is another person’s loss, and Austin knew that was not true. Helping people only makes the shared pie
bigger 


If anyone would like to see any of the stories I have referred to, they are posted under “Stories” at www.RememberingAustin.com.

And I want to thank all of my colleagues, suppliers and customers who have reached out to my family at this difficult time. Your prayers and good wishes are deeply appreciated.


- Gregg LaPore
TRAKWARE

I am proud to say that I have the treasured memory of seeing Austin ... dance.

We had discussed dancing a few times before, during lunch conversations about what the different art credit possibilities were (which, as it turns out, dance is not actually one of them. Oops), and his contribution to the conversation was always to shake his head vigorously - scrunched eyebrows and all - and say something to the effect of "yeah, I can't dance". When I pointed out that no one in any of these intro art credit classes was actually expected to be good at whatever they were learning, his response was simply his classic "eh"+shrug (the combination he used whenever he disagreed with you or was uncertain about something you said).

To my delight, spring quarter of second year came around, and in the middle of our Introduction to Western Art Music course, the professor suddenly announced one day that she wanted us to try a new type of learning: she wanted us to "feel and depict" the nuances in the music by choreographing a dance to the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. She split the class up into two - the dancers and the judges (why she thought it was a good idea to have half the class embarrass themselves by actually trying the assignment and the other half just sit around and not have to do anything is beyond me... but that's a topic for another time). Austin and I ended up in the dancers group, partly because we were a little slow at declaring our objections, and partly because we weren't averse to embarrassment and thought it might end up being fun.

Our group of 7 or 8 was given about 5 minutes to make something up - a daunting task, as although by this point we all knew the music well, none of us had any experience choreographing at all. We managed to come up with an intro where we would come out (marching and swaying to the music) from behind the curtain onto the "stage", which is how the transition from the 3rd to 4th movement felt to us. We discussed characterizing the rhythm and tempo of the rest of the piece with certain movements, and having one distinct dance move per theme... and then we ran out of time and ended the planning session with "screw it, we'll just wing it".

And that's pretty much what happened. I'd love to report that what transpired was as majestic as the movement itself (my personal favorite of the four), and that we successfully translated the music to dance in the supremely long 5 minutes we were given... but as you can probably guess, that didn't happen. After the intro, we essentially awkwardly cracked up... and just danced whatever moves popped into our minds (which doesn't sound too bad off hand, but remember, we were doing this in front of a sitting panel of "judges", who I'm pretty sure are probably now scarred for life)

I'll hand it to Austin - he was right. He knew where his talents were and were not, and, as many natural talents as he did have, dancing just wasn't one of them. But even then, he was in the very front laughing and doing big, sweeping movements the entire time. No shyness, no shame. Just enjoying the absurdity of the situation for what it was.

Austin and I went to a lot of concerts together. This past spring, for example we went to around six concerts at the Chicago symphony orchestra. With other friends the music might have stopped there and the evening when we got back to our respective apartments, but for us the music and the night would end in his room. We would go back to his place to listen to his favorite recording off of YouTube of a piece or a musician who he had mentioned during intermission. We would lie on his bed, listening until I got all musiked out for the evening. Although I always loved music, my taste was limited to largely pre-classical when I started college. My friendship with Austin forced me to expand as a listener and, therefore, as a musician.

I’m Jo. I was Austin’s first nanny. I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to share a post with you all about Austin. It’s not as though he hasn’t been constantly on, and, in my mind. Part of this writer’s block stems from not knowing where to
start. Part of it my denial. If I am writing about him in the past then, well,, that’s it. And I don’t want there to be only memories left of Austin. I want to be able to have so many more stories. The memories are not enough. In this I know I am not alone. But write I must, so, I start with one simple memory, one that makes me smile.

I read somebody else’s story about Austin turning down a game of mini-golf and it brings me to: A Day Out at Mini-golf 1 - Summer of 1999. I was visiting my “family” the Hudson Lapore’s in Albuquerque, with my then boyfriend, John, who was driving on after our trip to New Mexico to start a life in Arizona. Without me. We decided to say our tearful goodbyes (somewhat onesided I might add!) at their house, where I would then nurse my wounds spending time with the family - the world’s best remedy to any ailment, including the incurable, “heartache”.

What better way to distract my thoughts than a round at the local mini-golf course? Neither Austin, nor I, were any good at playing. As we played, it became clear that Austin was actually worse than me - a pretty difficult task, I might add -
and he began scowling at me and banging his little mini-club at the verge. He asked Gregg why we were doing this . He simply couldn’t comprehend that he had found something that he wasn’t good at and we were still doing it! Gregg patiently
began to explain the concept of playing, yet not always winning. Austin did not look impressed.
“You can’t always win Austin”, Gregg said, reassuringly.
“Why not?”, Austin sulked.
“Because that would be boring.” supplied Gregg.
“No it wouldn’t.” Austin replied. “I love winning.”

Well, he didn’t win this game, and his humour didn’t improve, but he didn’t stop playing. At the end of the game, as we were returning our clubs, Austin came up close to me, leant his head against my arm and said, “I let you win Jo, because you’re sad today.”
Thus, making us both feel a little better.
I’m glad to say that Austin’s sense of competitiveness never weakened, his desire to help people and make them feel better, (though in the is particular memory I have a sneaking suspicion that he may have been helping himself), and his curiosity to understand why something was so, and, being Austin, challenging it.

A L B U Q U E R Q U E   A C A D E M Y
         S E N I O R   E V A L U A T I O N

           Austin Reed Hudson-Lapore

Despite his diminutive stature, Austin Hudson-Lapore is a giant. Rendered irresistible by his cheerful disposition and winning smile, Austin captivates both teachers and other students with his boundless enthusiasm for learning. In conversation and in class, he wields a tremendous intellect, scintillating with eager curiosity and driven by desire to learn. Truly, Austin navigates the life of the mind with fluid ease and grace.

Austin's eagerness to discuss complicated ideas with any and all comers has, in the past, had mixed results.  As a younger student, he sometimes unwittingly intimidated other students and even teachers with his academic boldness. A true student of life, however, Austin has developed a gentler mode of discussion. Now, he waits to hear what others have to say before he comments, taking care to credit the valid points in others' arguments. In sum, Austin's EQ is just as impressive as his lQ. Equally impressive is his stellar grade point average and standardized test scores. Teachers enthusiastically expound on Austin's exceptional qualities:

     Austin will go down in Albuquerque Academy history as one of its finest science students. He lives, eats and breathes science. Although his knowledge is vast and he is comfortable sharing it, he never makes a person feel ignorant. (Science Bowl Coach)

    Meticulous, careful, brilliant, capable and confident, Austin is unreservedly the best student I have ever taught.Even in the tenth grade, he displayed an extremely rare synthesis of all his learning so the world as he knows it is self-consistent.  Austin is thus able to derive just about anything from first principles, and he enjoys the puzzle, the challenge of doing so almost as much as he is rewarded by the understanding he gains in doing so. Even at the college level, I have never encountered his equal in one of my students. (Advanced Placement Chemistry)

    During the essay workshop at senior retreat Austin stood out from all the other students in both groups with the care and insight of his comments. He was the only student who chose to read another person's essay out loud in its entirety because he thought it was an excellent example. Even to someone who knows him casually, his facile mind and his deep heart are readily apparent. (College Adviser)

In his extracurricular activities, Austin remains a most formidable competitor. A key participant in Science Bowl throughout middle and high school, Austin and his self-selected team have attended the national tournament each year, with excellent results. On our Science Olympiad team, which has gone to the national tournament for the duration of his high school participation, Austin is the kid who can do it all-when one student is unable to cover his event for any reason, Austin steps in and does a bang-up job.

During summers, Austin earns spending cash and gives back to the school as a teaching assistant for summer classes, where his enthusiasm for learning and ability to offer alternate explanations greatly enhance the students' experience. On reflection, Austin states: "Being a teaching assistant taught me how to work with, interact with, and teach kids, while also letting me learn when to step back and let other people do all the thinking and learning themselves." Summer school teachers invariably give Austin the highest marks in his evaluations as a TA and request him for the following year.

Although he may appear overly bookish at a first glance, Austin has demonstrated compassion and grace to match his intellect. We expect him to continue becoming a social phenomenon as well as an academic one. As much as we will miss his delightful character, his incisive wit, and most of all his unceasing pursuit of knowledge and delight in learning,  we are glad to send him on to you, the next step. We are confident that you will find him as amazing as we have, and we envy you the joy of this discovery.

One thing I always admired about Austin was his unconditional willingness to help others solve problems. It was most apparent to me on the many occasions when I was stumped by a homework problem, either because it was difficult or because I couldn't read the question in the grainy picture I had taken of the library's copy of the textbook. My last resort was always to text or message Austin for hints and clarification. I will always be grateful for the depth of his responses, no matter the question, and no matter how late I asked for them. One night he typed up half the IChem problem set, a solid page and a half of text, so I could work on the problems. It always seemed like he was bursting to share anything he learned, especially with people who understood it and especially when it helped others. On the few occasions I figured out a problem and he didn't I was eager to return the favor. When I think of Austin, I remember to share my knowledge unconditionally with the world.

In my family, there is a tradition that mushy bananas are not discarded or baked but rather peeled, placed into a large bowl, mashed together (a spoon works nicely), to then be gloriously microwaved into an oblivion of saccharine substance that our family affectionately calls "banana mush". Upon hearing of my family's quasi-dessert, Austin was skeptical but interested. And so one evening that Austin and I were loitering in his apartment following his delicious enchilada dinner, I noted with glee that Austin had bananas in his apartment, and could make good of his promise to try "banana mush". Unfortunately, these bananas weren't ripe enough to make a good banana mush, and the final product was less than desirable. But Austin was brave enough to eat the microwaved banana and still dub it "interesting". It reminds me that adventures can extend beyond the great outdoors to every aspect of our lives, even the mundane quotidian, including what and how we chose to eat. Austin took great joy in learning and executing new recipes; and he certainly didn't shy away from the oddity of microwaved bananas (despite his earlier childhood inclinations to eat only white, bland foods). Try something new to eat! (And if it's microwaved bananas, make sure that you watch the microwave- they boil over really easily).   

Austin - Just wanted to let you know that hearing about your scientific talents and great heart from your Mom inspires me to be a better, more involved mentor to the students and residents who come my way. I can only imagine what an amazing person she raised as she has inspired me so much in such a short time. We've had some great storms in ABQ lately, and knowing how much you loved crazy weather, as do I, they make me think of you even though we never met.  - Kate

Last month, I wrote an article for my company's newsletter to share my experience with all our customers here at Trakware. This may seem like an odd thing to share with a customer but I feel there are many lessons to be learned from our experience with the search for Austin and how it affected our view of the world. 

Many people have a negative view of the world and I wanted to let people know that has not, in any way, been our experience.

Here's my article:


Austin Hudson-Lapore, 1992-2013

On the evening of June 13th, my wife and I got the call that every parent dreads. “Your son left the apartment yesterday evening and we can’t find him. We've called all his friends and no one has seen him since yesterday!”

My son Austin was a rising senior studying Biochemistry at the University of Chicago. The day before, he had completed his last final in the early afternoon and then returned to his apartment. It was forecast to be a stormy evening in Chicago as a rare kind of thunderstorm, a “derecho”, was passing over the city. At 8:34pm, with the rain tapering off, he logged off his computer, left his apartment and disappeared.

It was obvious to everyone who knew Austin that he’d gone towards the lake front, half a mile away, to watch the lightning as the thunderstorms pass over the city. He loved exploring the lake front parks and had been an avid weather buff since childhood.

Thus ensued a frantic search for the next six days in the area between his apartment in Hyde Park and the lake shore. With the media closely following the story, friends, family, volunteers, police, marine units and divers searched for him.

Finally, on the 7th day, a fisherman saw a shape in the water in the dawn light and the search was over.

This story is not so much about how my son lived or died but rather about what we learned in our search for him.

We learned that the world can be incredibly kind - With our faces splashed across newspapers and television, many knew us by sight. People called from passing cars their prayers and best wishes. We were stopped on the street to be hugged and prayed over. The people at FedEx Office and Staples printed all our missing posters at cost or for free. Businesses with private security cameras poured over grainy images looking for our son passing. Taxis stopped and offered us free rides. Volunteers papered the area with Austin’s image. I even had two kids dressed like gang-bangers walk up to me to shake my hand and to tell me their hommies were scouring their territories for him and for me to be strong.

We learned you have to take matters in to your own hands – Although the police put a lot of resources into the search, they also have limited time and manpower. We worked from morning to night coordinating help, getting security camera footage, posting missing flyers, updating websites and Facebook, working leads and talking to the media. The images of us driving the search brought in many more prayers and offers of support.

We learned to ask for and accept help – We used the media to appeal for help in our search. That resulted in community organizers offering their help with flyering and a search dog (over the objections of the police). With churches forming prayer circles for his safe return. With boaters offering to help us with a water search. And with volunteer searchers who scoured the alleyways and wooded areas for Austin.

We learned to reach out using social media – With the help of my very internet savvy sister, niece and her best guy, their website and social media campaigns raised awareness of our search with the media and among younger people who don’t follow traditional media. It also made our search national and international news with the story appearing in the press from London to Taiwan.

And finally, we relearned the power of family – My family is a very strong one. Even though this was a terrible time, we all supported and loved each other 100%. That love and support came through in all the media we did and we think it’s one of the reasons people were so supportive of us. It maintained our spirits then and it will help us to heal now. Because in the end all that’s really important in life is family.

Give your kids and grandkids a hug for us. 

As I was driving across the plains and short grass prairies of eastern Colorado, thunderstorms brewed to the north. The wide open view made it easy to watch the storms develop and sheets of rain pour to the earth. They did not fall straight down, though; they came down in curved ribbons with upper winds blowing one direction and the surface winds blowing them in another. The lightening bolted from the clouds to the ground and back up. It was beautiful to watch and amazingly the storms moved east as I drove east and I never drove into them. I felt Austin's spirit that day and appreciated the strength and beauty of the weather more because of him.