Blue Day Here and Around the Country

On my drive home from work I heard of the horrific tragedy that struck Virginia Tech this morning. As I write this, hundreds of parents and families are dying a slow death and scrambling to learn of the welfare of their loved one. They are on the road and booking flights across the nation. I can hardly imagine the fear and trembling they are feeling right now.

Images of the numerous students I know personally who attended Virginia Tech rushed through my mind and the only consolation I have is knowing that they have graduated from the college and are safe from a crazed shooter who has killed thirty-three thus far and injured as many ~ the worst killing spree in U.S. history.

I am sick and grief-stricken. Few details are known and I’m still processing, in my mind, this awful crime. My anger can’t be suppressed right now.

In 1999, the deadly massacre at Columbine High School shook the nation. The high school in which I worked, and where my daughter attended that same year, took immediate steps in developing a crisis management plan. Safety lock-down doors were installed but the main entrance was open with a sign that read, “All Visitors Must Register at the Main Office”. No help there.

For a few years, until 2005, I worked in a State office building for the Delaware Department of Education. All four entrances to that building were open to the public during working hours. At one of those entrances, my cubicle was the first stop for the general public and on a daily basis, the scum of the streets would enter the building and approach me to ask for directions to the nearest restroom. It was my restroom they wanted to visit, so I had a hard heart and directed them back onto the streets. Were they disease ridden? Were they packing a revolver? I put that thought out of my mind and took my chances on receiving a possible conflict.

There are grave failures happening in our society. Is the media responsible for the sensationalism attached to violent crimes that triggers repeated scenarios in the minds of potential killers? Will gun control laws inhibit these crimes? Or, do “family values” fall short in raising respectful citizens? It’s so complex and miserable.

Let’s face it. We are all sitting ducks. That’s why we should tell our loved ones, as often as possible, just how much we cherish them. A simple, “I Love You” will do at least once a day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The weather is wild. In my area, sustained winds are at 30 mph, with 50+ mph gusts (70+ mph in the mountains, not far from us). There has been terrible damage in the surrounding areas. This is the first time my feeders flew off the station.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It hasn’t been a good day but it’s my birthday and I’d like to end this morose post with something a little light-hearted.

I’ve been admiring the childhood photos of blogger friends I’ve seen in recent posts. After looking for a few of my own, I realize that I don’t have many childhood photos that my parents kept. I’ll find them on my next trip to Maryland! There is one color photo that my Mother had taken of me, around a year of age, sitting near a stream of water and I was examining a tall weed next to it. I can't find that photo! I didn’t walk until I was about 16 months old, I think, because I was the observant type and was content to sit and contemplate pools of water and grass. I haven’t changed much! (Gee, I wish my scanner would work. I've been technology challenged lately...)

I guess it was me who found an ink pen and marked myself up.

Around the age of three, just inside the Baltimore City limits. Rowhomes were new. Never one for wearing dresses, I smelled like dirt most of the time. Yes, I haven’t changed too much!