When you look at the things that people do and how easy it is to get caught in their path, you almost feel as though you should be scared to leave home. Movie theaters. Hair salons. Malls. Schools. Everyday places, places you wouldn't necessarily think to leave your guard up. Train platforms. Busy city streets. Highways. Places you use to get from point A to point B in everyday life. Innocent people have been shot in all of these places in the past six months alone.
I don't want to go through life thinking that nowhere is safe, but it's difficult to keep suspicion from edging its way in. There's no way to foretell and avoid senseless violence. Standard vigilance and common sense will keep you out of harm's way in most cases, but there's truly no way to expect the unexpected. So I'll keep living my life, perhaps wary but not fearful. If I fear every decision, I'm not really living anymore.
It's crushing for those who lost family and friends today to be in the midst of the holiday season, a time that's meant to revolve around the people you love. I'm sure their absence will leave an aching hole. Ultimately it's a good reminder to the rest of us. We don't know what next week, tomorrow, or even ten minutes from now will bring. So appreciate the people in your life while you're here to do it. Make sure they know you love them. And stop putting off the enjoyment of life for things less worthwhile.
These thoughts and feelings aren't particularly unique; you've probably seen them pasted far and wide across social media and the internet in general. But I felt the need to put them out in the universe.
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