Chapter 194: Looking Back at Past Events

Remembering Oklahoma City and Columbine.

I hope that you have had a fantastic Friday! If you are doing any sort of creative work or starting to make plans for the weekend, I hope that those activites go well for you.

before I dive into today’s topic, I want say thank you, to those that have subscribed to the blog, and on that note we have a new subscriber to the blog. This brings the total to 94 subscribers. Thank you, for subscribing for the suppor means so much to me. Now, if you have not subscribed but have liked a post or two, I want to say thank you, for that support also means a lot. Now, if you have not liked or subscribed but have read a post or two, that support also goes along way, and I also want to say thank you for visting the blog.

29 years ago today was the Oklahoma City Bombing incident. I was so young when it happened, that I sort of remember flashes of the news coverage, but it wasn’t one of those incidents where I instinctly remember where I was when the news came of the breaking news.

While I do not want to shine away from the memorial of Oklahoma City that killed 168, 19 of which were children; however, tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School Shooting.

Columbine is one of those where I more instinctly remember where I was when the news broke. I was in the 6th grade and I was in choir, we had a subsitute that day so we were watching a movie, when our principal came on the PA system and told us what had happened. As he was addressing us, my thoughts went to my younger sisters, who were at a different school, that was a couple of miles from Columbine but that is were my thoughts went just naturally. I was hoping that they were safe.

Went home from school and of course all the televisions were covering this story and the next several weeks. But I remember the day after, I was in my mom’s car as she was taking me to school and we drove by the high school that was close by and I remember the parking lot was empty, because it was closed for fear that they may have an incident take place there, because there was a threat made against the school. But as we drove by, it was just quiet and weird.

We drove on to my school, I got out of the car and normally before school we would stand outside until the doors were open, and that was case the day after. However, as we stood outside, everyone was talking about it and for some reason we were kept outside longer than usual. Then the doors opened and we were ushered into the auditorium where we were given an assembly on what do in the event of a school shooting and this was the first and only time that I remember ever having it addressed.

Granted, since Columbine there have been other school shootings and everytime that I hear of one, it takes me back to that moment of being in the 6th grade in the choir room of my middle school and hearing the news. Over time it has never gotten easier, especially when there have been a few others not as big as Columbine but there have been a few in the state that I reside in.

All this week on the local news they have been paying tribute to the 12 students and the 1 teacher that lost their lifes that day and their familes. Then tomorrow they are doing a day of service, which is a nice tribute in itself.

However, I know that in my life time and for everyone that grew up with the memories of Columbine, it is not something that I will ever forget. I know that it is a different thing hearing about it, than those that had live it for they were there. But the feelings that you get the first time that you heard something like a school shooting, those feeling are not ignored, for they are real.

While I do not mean to ignore the events of Oklahoma City for it is just as much as a tragedy as Columbine, but it’s just that I remember Columbine more just because I was a bit older when Columbine happened.

In regards to both tragedies, I wish to send prayers of comfort to the familes during this time and while they may just be words to some, to others they do mean something.

I hope that you have a good night and I will talk to you soon.