Hi all, I haven't posted for a long time but Steven's case has captured my attention. I just want to say that I've never been more impressed than I am on this thread with how devoted all of you are and how it is clear that all of you sincerely care about bringing Steven home.
I think this case may be able to be taken a little further if we were to learn more about Steven as a person. While I was reading through the many pages of this thread, I kept asking myself, Who is this man? We know, of course, that he was bummed about turning 30, being currently unemployed, and broke. But I'm trying to imagine having a conversation with Steven - what was he like? Was he happy-go-lucky? Laid back or more uptight? Generally an optimist or prone to fits of depression? Did he honestly seem like a happy man before he lost his job/turned 30? What were his past girlfriends like? How long were the relationships? Were any of them serious? What was his favorite color? (Ok, JK on that last one, but you get the point.) From the limited information we have, I tend to have an image of Steven as a slightly melancholy loner of a man, generally unhappy with the direction his life was going. I see him as someone who, from the time he was young, had plans to be successful, popular, well-loved, and with a wife and family by the time he was 30 (of course I could be entirely wrong, which is why more information on Steven as a person is requested). However, I wonder, is this what STEVEN really wanted, or was his goal in life to make his family and church proud of him and to live up to others' expectations? Perhaps because not only hadn't he reached this goal but saw himself as not even being close to reaching it, or because he suddenly realized this life wasn't what HE wanted and that's why he hadn't yet succeeded in attaining it, he either had some kind of a mental break or consciously chose to 'disappear' and start life anew somewhere else, a life perhaps different than the one those around him wanted/expected him to have. IDK, but when I look in Steven's eyes in the various photos of him I've seen, I see an insecure man with some kind of inferiority complex. That said, I also see a sparkle in those eyes that to me clearly represents kindness, goodness, and love. That's why I don't think Steven was up to anything nefarious. I don't think he was involved in drugs/car insurance fraud/immigrant trafficking, or any of the other various undesirable activities that have been proposed. I just don't see it. I think his disappearance was caused by an inner struggle about who he was, if he was good enough, where his life was going, etc; the result of an 'early mid life crisis' so to speak.
All of that being said, I do believe Steven is one hundred percent alive. The question is, does he want to be found? At the moment my guess would be no, but until he contacts his family, friends, or LE and tells them that, we can't be sure, and for that reason must keep looking. That's my two cents for now. I had more thoughts, but this post is already long enough. Like I said though, you all are doing an amazing job, putting so much of your time and energy into finding a man none of us knows. You brighten my view of humanity, and remind me that there are still many good people out there.
