Taking a Break from Cruise Posts – Life, Goes On

gThis Sunday morning, a pharmacist who works a block from the Elementary School once attended by my children went off to work as did a young girl who also worked at the pharmacy, with no idea on earth that everything they ever wanted to do or be, had happened.

At twenty minutes after ten, a robber shot and killed four people in the building. The police officer who discovered what had to be an awful and gruesome and bloody scene, reported it to dispatch in a totally conversational tone of voice, leading me to believe it was a Sunday morning drill.

A mile into a random local bike ride, I discovered that it was not, as I stumbled upon the scene in real life, not television or internet.

I am not particularly proud of this fact, but my very first reaction upon seeing this scene was the line from “Alice’s Restaurant” that ‘they had all kinds of po lees equipment that they was using up”.




The media was there




As were the gawkers, which briefly had to include me, although I left rapidly.





Here’s the thing that struck me. A block away, people were cutting their grass. Kids shot baskets in the street. Birds sang loudly in the trees overhanging the street on which I rode. A stream of vehicles passed me, occupied by people who had no knowledge of what had transpired yards from them.

It IS a good idea to enjoy life while it lasts. Sometimes it is well to remember.