News Headlines

Thirty-three people died in the rampage, including the gunman, who committed suicide.

I have a rather predictable pattern of behavior when it comes to real-life horror stories. I see the breaking news story, or hear a snippet on the radio, and I cover my ears. Not literally, but at least figuratively. I tell myself I’m not going to dwell on this or set myself up to obsess over every detail.

And I don’t… for at least the first couple of days.

It’s not that I don’t want to stay informed and be aware of what is going on in the world… it’s just so easy to slip into that place where you believe the world is $#1T and that people are evil and life is a struggle and I REFUSE to allow my reality be that way. So I catch the headlines and an image, here and there, as I change a television channel or tune my radio and I coach myself… because I know the direction I am headed. I know I will eventually look at all the pictures. I’ll read the gory details. I’ll pour over the bios of victims and likely shed some tears about just how unfair it is. Too young. Too full of promise. Too much to look forward to. Too many kids at home who are going to have to live a life without this person.

I coach myself to remember all the good people I know and have known in my life. I remind myself to focus on how people live and how they spread joy. I think of all the stories of strangers helping strangers. People are out there doing good and putting forth positive energy every day.

I’ll remember all this, and I’ll do my best to keep those thoughts above the images of pain, hatred, insanity… I won’t allow myself to be afraid or to agonize about all that isn’t right in the world and all those things I can’t control. On this day, I still have a lot of living to do.