I promise I had no plans to write about this. I actually had a somewhat thought out topic for today, but the world (and my emotions) just wouldn’t let me be great.

Before you ask: the building in the picture is Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri. No, I didn’t go to school there. Hell, I don’t think I know anyone that did go to school there. But the students and faculty have been on my mind all day. Why is that, you ask? Well, on Monday, October 24, 2022, a young man entered the school and opened fire. As of this morning, one student and one teacher had lost their lives.

This is the first time I’ve felt any kind of connection to those affected by a school shooting. That’s not to say I wasn’t sympathetic in the past. Quite the contrary. Hell, I’m still pissed off about what happened in Uvalde, Texas (punk ass police officers! 🤬). But this one? This one hit close to the heart. Scarface said it best; when it hits that close to home, you feel the pain in your ribs. I got the notification on my phone and just sat at my desk, damn near in tears.

Seriously though. Think about all the shit you stressed about in high school. Got your list? Good. No matter how trivial it may seem now, that list of issues meant the world to us. Now add “Active Shooter Scenario” to the end. I’m in my 40’s and am not quite sure how I’d handle being in a position to defend my life against an active shooter while at work, I can’t imagine how a teenager feels about it, let alone a smaller child. Something has to be done to better protect these kids.

Before you say it, no I’m not championing for guns to be outlawed. Far from it, because I have NO plans to give up my second amendment rights. But there has to be a happy medium between the Wild West society we currently live in and the gunless “Utopia” that some people in our government are pushing for. I don’t know what it is though. All I know is I can’t stop thinking about those kids in St. Louis that had to stop thinking about homecoming or the upcoming holidays to focus on survival.