Saturday, February 16, 2008

insight...on the changing new world...

I guess the thing that freaks me out the most concerning the shooting was just how unsafe the world has become.  At least my world.  Where I live I still consider it a small town, one where you leave your door unlocked, you can be out at all hours of the night, even walking the neighborhood without fear of the boogie man.  Maybe I am naive', but I am rarely afraid of driving in the nearby larger town that has gang problems. 

DeKalb is such a place...the school is basically in the middle of a cornfield!  The high school there's mascot is the huskers....cornfield get it?  When I went for orientation with Eric in 2003 they bragged about how Cindy Crawford is from DeKalb.  Yippee!  Seriously DeKalb is wonderful school, to me I thought it would be the last place for such a rampage.  

This person must of been pretty pissed off at somebody at NIU to drive from Champaign (roughly 3 hour drive), sit in a hotel for 3 days and then go to the largest lecture hall and start shooting.  It's so surreal to me. 

As one of the adults in a kids world I do listen to what they are saying.  So many kids screaming out for somebody to care about them...somebody to guide them.  I hear this guy had mental problems, went off his meds, perhaps trying to be normal.  What is normal anyway.  Normal used be two parents, a couple of siblings, mom was home all day and you had a dog.   Now who knows who or what the kids go home to.  Who knows what has to happen to a kid to make him grow up and do such an awful deed.

In my own family one of the kids is having serious marital problems.  I am very saddened by this and the effect it will have on the family.  I can only offer support and my love.  And prayers...they do work.

Life goes on as it always does.   Hug your kids, listen to them...they have a lot to say.

 

Thanks for listening.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rose, I too was very saddened by this, sorry it happened so close to home to you, Love and Hugs Lisa XO

Anonymous said...

I know what you're saying Rose. I grew up in safe mode and still live like that. Drive anywhere, leave the keys in the car. Anything can happen anywhere now days. Any of us can get a rude awakening. I had my purse taken from me in my own drive-way when I lived in San Antonio in my safe older neighborhood where I had lived many years. I was lucky my purse was all he took. It taught me to be more aware of my suroundings there but now I'm slack again here. Don't know what the answer is except like you say prayer. Paula

Anonymous said...

YOU are wise beyond most people i know.....there is an old soul in you, Rose. You have learned from the past and in your chest beats the biggest heart i know.....you are rare....not many adults CARE about kids...there are SO many people out there with serious disorders or are just plain selfish and only care about themselves......i understand how scared you are and how when things like this happen in YOUR world, it is scary and can take away a bit of the security you feel. I am so sorry there are marital problems in the family.
i love you so
lj

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Rose. I live in that "kids world" too -- the things I see and hear scare the living you know what out of me. I see what the "norm" is -- it sure aint what it use to be! Things are totally out of control.
Be safe, hugs, Martha

Anonymous said...

You are a wise woman, Rose. I feel so badly for our kids these days. While I enjoy electronics, I think families need to unplug once in a while and interact more with each other. This country is in a sad state of affairs and I hope people can improve themselves and their families before the government decides to do it for us. Good luck to your family members, Rose - I hope they can resolve things! Sometimes families come out stronger after some strife, you know?

xoxo

Anonymous said...

I wonder if people around him ever even raised concerns obliquely?  You often find after the fact so many people want to come forward & tell you all little stories about the person, things that should have been acted on before, but it tends to be a very Don't Get Involved world in reality, while everyone keeps preaching about how, OF COURSE, we should all get involved.
~Mary

Anonymous said...

Great entry!!!!  Yes, it's scary out there.  I send the children and pray hard and am still afraid even though I should not be.  We don't know what God may ask of us when we go out the door.
Lisa