in the fading twilight

I’m so sad. My heart hurts. The tears keep coming.

Thank you so much to all who have commented here, called and e-mailed.

Yes, I was interviewed by NewsChannel5’s Amy Rao. I guess Nashville got a look into my “blog central”. Ugh.

When I was a student, my favorite time of day on campus were the fleeting moments of sunset and twilight. The sun going down over the mountains, the colors reflecting off the Hokie stone on the buildings. The air had a quietness about it, a calm peacefulness even though campus was always buzzing with activity.

Will Virginia Tech ever have that again?

I hope so.
*This post originally appeared on my old blog. I figured that David and I would be talking more about Virginia Tech and the tragic events that occurred there, so I’ve brought the post from the old blog over here for the sake of continuity.

Time and Space to Be

My heart aches right now for the entire Virginia Tech community. I have been worried about friends and family, concerned and distraught at each news story that indicates the story is worse than we knew before, grieving and mourning for those lost and those left behind. Those are all appropriate in this situation.

However, the most shocking emotion I have felt today is shock and disgust at the crass nature with which this story has been treated by people from the paid media to bloggers to message boards. That is not something I expected to deal with in this time.

In life, there are seasons and a time for all things, we are told. A time to enjoy great victory and a time to mourn and grieve great loss. Unfortunately, our society, for some reason, has become one that doesn’t allow for this space of time to occur. We are in too much hurry to get on with it, dissect whatever it is and move on. Maybe it’s the 24-hour news cycle, maybe it’s the constant connectivity that makes all things now, I really don’t know, and frankly, don’t care right now.

What I do know is that spaces of time are necessary in life. You don’t get to fast forward to the conclusion of the situation.

One good example recently was the Billy Donovan to University of Kentucky story. Everyone was in a hurry to say that Donovan was definitely going to UK after the Final Four (and eventual championship) was over. In the post-game interview of the national championship game with the floor still sweaty from the game, the questions were peppered at Donovan as to whether he was going to UK or not. I loved his answer….I want to just live in this moment, right now, I’ll worry about that later. For now, I am going to enjoy this.

Is it too much to ask to let people breathe and just be? Can we allow people space to mourn and grieve or even enjoy great triumph without comment? Must we dissect every detail of an event even while it is still occuring? While I am shocked and question why anyone would find a reason to shoot at least 32 people dead, at the same time, I question a society that wants to insert politics or humor or anything except condolence and sympathy for the families involved on the very day such a tragedy occurs. Indeed, the falcon can not hear the falconer.

not again!! – updates

Update #10 – One more, I just got an e-mail from Tanya and they are fine and all at home.

Update #9 – I just saw on FoxNews.com that the death toll is 32. I don’t think I can keep these updates up. I’m crying so much I can barely see the screen. I think I need to take a break from the computer.

Update #8 – When I was driving around Blacksburg this past weekend, I noticed that the lamp posts on Main Street, had banners that said, “A Special Place – Blacksburg”. That’s so true. Blacksburg is a special place. It’s a small town that has retained it’s small town nature even though there are 26,000 students milling about! Even though this incident happened on campus, it will affect the entire community. Virginia Tech is an amazing university. I loved being a student there. It’s so diverse and so beautiful and there is so much opportunity and potential held on that campus. I never felt unsafe on campus. I remember my freshman year we had a “peeping tom” incident in my residence hall, they put locks on the bathroom doors on the girls’ floors (it was a co-ed dorm, guys/girls every other floor) and gave us keys. It was annoying and our privacy had been violated but I never felt scared or unsafe.

I just can’t imagine what the school is going to do. Finals are slated to begin in a few weeks. Seniors are gearing up for graduation.

I’m very sad.

Update #7 – I just got to talk to Jennifer Brooks from the Tennessean. That was nice, to be able to talk to someone about this.

Update #6 – I’m so horrified. I’ve stopped shaking, mostly. I’ve been crying on and off. This is just so hard to comprehend. It’s so surreal to me since I was just there this past weekend for a reunion. I just can’t imagine what the students and their parents and families are going through right now. I drove by West AJ – when I was a student, I lived in Lee which is just two buildings down the street. I drove around the drillfield, by Norris Hall. It was such a great weekend and now there is such sorrow.

UPDATE #5 – 22 DEAD!!!!!! And several, 17-21 injured. This is crazy. Y’all, I’m shaking as I type this. I can’t believe this has happened. I was just there! What is happening?????

Update #4: Lisa’s blog
Hoping to hear from Tanya soon!!!

Update #3:

WDBJ7 – Roanoke – A shooter has been caught, they are still reporting one fatality and several injuries. There is a suspected second shooter.

So far I’ve found one blog from someone currently on campus: Southern Girl – sounds like she’s grad student.

Update #2: There’s been a second shooting, this time at an academic building. Still reporting only one fatality, but multiple injuries.

Update #1: Here’s another link.

original post:
Last August, a felon was on the loose in Blacksburg.

This morning there’s been a shooting on the Virginia Tech campus!!

I was just there this past weekend. This is scary stuff. I have family and friends in the area. Please be praying!
*This post originally appeared on my old blog. I figured that David and I would be talking more about Virginia Tech and the tragic events that occurred there, so I’ve brought the post from the old blog over here for the sake of continuity.