Unfortunately this is a case of Chapter 24 leaping off the pages of our history book and right onto our television screens and American streets. Although we live in an amazing time period of prosperity (never has life expectancy, freedom from war, technological advancement been higher than it is today), we still experience great tragedy, horrific violence by terrible people, and events that make us question humanity.
However, there are many angles to viewing events like these. Mr. Rogers was a television personality that I grew up with and many Americans identified with from my generation. He was a voice of kindness in an often uncertain world for children. His quote about seeing "scary things on television" was a "viral share" yesterday on the Internets. And for good reason:
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| Mr. Rogers was born in Latrobe, PA. That's just a few miles from where Mr. Duez grew up, near Pittsburgh. |
My take on this? Life is fragile. Hug those you love a little tighter. Appreciate the day we have been given. Nothing in life is guaranteed or certain to happen. However do not let events like this impact your life to a point that sacrifices your ability to see the 'good' in the world. There is a lot to see. If you feel like there isn't any, keep looking. You'll find it. Or, even better, ask someone to help you experience it.
