I am glad to inform my followers that all my family here in Virginia Beach are safe today. But our hearts ache for those families that will mourn today and forever more.
Another senseless mass murder occurred here last evening at the municipal center of this fine city. An unhappy employee shot up the public works building and killed 12 innocent bystanders, wounding several others. The police headquarters sits in an adjacent building so they dispatched the perpetrator as quickly as possible or the toll would have been higher, unimaginable as it is already.
This has always been a scary world, especially so since homo sapiens became the dominant species. This is another of the mindless malcontents who feel the need to express anger by killing those he/she imagine have wronged him/her.
Happening this close to home gives pause to reflect for those of us knew these fine people in our public service, whose only failing was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I am sad that life is so unpredictably cruel. There is little we can do if a person wants to harm others, whether it is by gun, knife, bomb, arson, airborne poison or any of the other myriad ways we can do evil to our fellow man. We can only combat it with love and concern for each other on a one to one basis and the promise they will pay it forward.
My next door neighbor summed it up best. This morning we woke up to thunder and heavy rain in our area. She said it sounded to her like a collective moaning and weeping from all over Virginia Beach.
May the future tears of humankind here and all over the world be only tears of joy from this moment forward.
The Cvillean 
Al, I am so sorry for the loss of lives in your community. Sadly we are all becoming numb to such needless loss of life and then when it hits close to home in some way….. we are jolted back to the reality of the angers and unrest that lies hidden all around us…… which should only encourage each of us to walk more purposefully in love, kindness, and compassion. Again….my sympathies for the loss you are dealing with in your hometown area. jfh
Oh, Al, I’m so glad you and Patty are safe. What a horrible event.
Thank you, Tilly. Always god to hear from you.
I am finally catching up with wordpress. When I heard this on the news I did not realize you were that close. I am so glad to hear you are all right. My heart hurts for those that have been impacted and for those, like you, who live close and are impacted for that very reason.
Well said Al. I am so sorry that this affected your hometown. Senseless cruelty is so hard to understand and it leaves so many people feeling hopeless and bereft. I am glad that you found the peace in a passing storm.
Hugs to you and your village.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Thank you for letting us know you, Patty and your family are alright Al. It is senseless and heartbreaking. My prayers and healing energy go out to all whose lives have been torn apart. My love to you and Patty, my Bro. Xx đŸ’—
I’ve read about the incident in the news but didn’t connect that it was so close to your home. These terrible events keep occurring all over the world these days and always I am reminded of a line written by W.H.Auden
” All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.”
In the wake of horrendous events, it is comforting to know that most of us are caring loving families, friends and neighbors. Your thoughts speak to the shock we all feel when any of our own are harmed by the unstable.
I am so pleased to read that you and your family were not involved with this crazy event, Al. I am in total agreement with your comment reply about the perpetrator being taken out at the scene. Best that it ends there. I pray for the families of the victims and also the family of the assassin who must be extremely upset and guilty being relatives and probably knew nothing about what was to happen.
Thank you for letting us know you and family are safe. Well written, Al.
Thank you so much, Alison.
I’m glad you and your family are ok Al. My heart aches for those families that lost loved ones to such a senseless act. My boyfriend and I were jus talking about the shooting this morning and wondering what possesses someone to kill not only the people they think are the cause of their misery but so many innocent others? Just tragic.
Thanks, Tricia.
We’ll never know the minds of these people. This will sound callous, but I am glad for our community that this man died. It spares us having to go through a trial and hear all the apologists for how this man had such a difficult upbringing, terrible misfortune in life, yada, yada, yada. He did it, he’s dead and that’s justice! At least it’s closure for the families, inasmuch as they can possibly find any solace at all.
I agree Al!
There are no words at times like these, all too often happenings in places we never thought they would. Our home towns. Our schools. Unimaginable sadness.
It’s almost too much to process. Our minds were certainly meant for greater things than these atrocities. You have to be pretty sick and angry at society to take people with you when you want to end it all.
Sensitive post on a horrific event. Thank you for sharing your personal insights. May God support with His love all those reeling from such a senseless loss.
Much thanks, Linda. Still reeling a bit but mostly thinking of those that lost loved ones.
We are greatly saddened by the loss to the people of VB and genuinely perplexed by the the senseless atrocities perpetrated on Innocents.
Love to you and your neighbors from your cousins in the West.
Thank you for the well wishes. Life is becoming nothing more than a crap shoot!
Good Morning, Al … seems inappropriate to say “good morning” on the day after this horrific event. We were, of course, thinking about you and Patty, but in my heart I knew you weren’t there. I prayed last night for the salvation of the craziness of what is happening in the United States not only regarding the mass shootings, but the weather affecting millions and the lack of common sense leadership. I find that I want to mourn those who lost their lives and ruined family and friendship ties. It is heartbreaking. Virginia Beach is prayed for today. That said, words seem meaningless at times like this. Love to you and Patty, Karen & Ed
Thank you for the beautiful sentiment, Karen, and your prayers.