| OK, I want to relay something that happened--or *didn't* happen, depending on how you view it--this week. On Saturday, I got up early to go to the laundromat. I had SEVEN loads of laundry to do, and was determined to get it all done. Happily, the laundromat was not very busy, and I took my time, finishing up around 10:20. I packed up my car with clean clothes and went home. So, here's where the story gets interesting... At 10:35, as a woman who had been doing washing while I was there was putting her laundry in her car, her estranged husband showed up, pulled out a gun and shot her to death. Then he turned the gun on himself. In the newspaper story, one of the laundromat patrons described how everyone reacted--running for cover behind washing machines, watching in horror as he shot her again and again. They feared he might come into the building and shoot them, too! Fifteen minutes. Fifteen tiny minutes that prevented me (and my dog, by the way) from being at that scene. I had thought about running my last load through one more cycle on the dryer to be sure everything was completely dry, but decided against it. I was tired and wanted to get home and go to bed (I work nights, sleep days). When I found out about this tragic event, it really blew me away. I felt terrible, both for the woman who was killed and for the people who had to witness it. And yes, I thought of how I would have felt had I stayed those few extra minutes. As it is, I keep picturing the event in my mind as I imagine it happened. How awful!! To watch someone's life taken so violently, and to not know if you might be next. God! Well, anyway, I've been processing this since I learned of it last night, and I've written a poem that is kind of a reminder to myself of how precious Life really is, and how fragile. I've tentatively titled it "The Meaning Of Life", but I feel like that is a pretty bold and presumptuous title...as if I actually KNOW the meaning of Life!! If anyone has a better title suggestion, I'd love to hear it. July 16, 2002 |
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