Friday, March 06, 2009

Madness

Today, two young people I attended high school with were murdered in a subdivision maybe five minutes away from our house. Travis and Rachel Joiner were a few years younger than me, but in a high school of less than 200, you know everyone, especially when they're active in UIL, athletics, and band. I'm just stunned. Shocked. Disgusted.

It's so bizarre, but we have such a high rate of fatalities among the people I attended high school with. Mitzi, Thomas, Landon, Rachel, Travis... That's not counting people who have died who were in middle school when I was in high school. It's disconcerting to say the least.

These deaths feel different to me than the others. Now that I'm going to be a mother it's just, well, different. I can't imagine what it was like for the Joiners to get that phone call, to be told their children had been gunned down in their own home by some disgruntled asshole, had died so violently. What must that five and half hour drive have been like? With each passing mile knowing you're this much closer to the faces of your dead children? I just...I can't.

I know many of you reading this post won't give it a second thought since they weren't people you personally knew--and that's okay. It's normal even. Still, I want people to know society as a whole is poorer for the losses of these two young people. I can honestly say they were among some of the kindest, gentlest, most intelligent, and generous souls I've ever known. They will be greatly missed.

2 comments:

As You Wish said...

oh, M,

I'm so very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to all of you as friends and family of the victims.

Brenda Lou said...

I am so sorry for your loss, honey! It's sad how violent our society is becoming.