One Fleeting Second
When things happen like the Virginia Tech murders of this past Monday, the surreality of the act sends many of us reeling in despair while the weight of the universe and the harsh cruelty which is an unavoidable aspect of life crushes in upon us. Some cry that its a sign of the end of the world, while others seek answers that are closely tied into their own political agendas.
As horrible as this tragedy is, there have been others. The Bath School disaster of 1927 was a series of three bombings which resulted in 45 dead, 58 injured, most of whom were 2nd to 6th graders. I don't
why the public, like the troubled and terrifying souls who commit these acts, must contrast and compare such incidents with one another as if we all share the same twisted fascination as the killers for who can top who in misery and pain.
Outcries ranging from stricter gun control to arming every citizen are being argued across the country from digital chatrooms to barroom stools. Everyone has an opinion, a view, a "full-proof" cure for what ails the world. But in order to find the right answers, you first have to ask the right questions, and personally I don't think asking how to prevent such acts is the right question. Human beings are, at our core, fragile, emotional, and vulnerable creatures. If our inner psyche, our inner spirit, is malformed or discontent, so are we. A corrupt inner being corrupts our thoughts, fuels our anger, incites our rage. Like a wounded animal, we lash out at those we feel threatened by when we believe we are forced into a corner with no escape. And it seems that with every passing hour of every passing day in every passing year within every passing decade we're breeding a materialistic society built around values so lofty and goals so unrealistic that even the fairest of the fair, the richest of the rich, and the strongest of the strong are crashing and burning as they fall short of obtaining the unobtainable, the perfect life.
We have to find a way to break this vicious cycle, to stop applying aesthetic values to Life itself. Life in itself is a miracle beyond words, something that transcends beauty and monetary value. I imagine that takes forms that we've yet to even imagine. And every single item blessed with it, whether you are a person of Faith or not, deserves to be treasured for what it is, not restricted by what the human mind can conceive. We're all children of the wondrous universe in which we live, and in the grand scheme of things we are each just a small part of it all. Our kids need to know this and stop having to live up to standards that have nothing to do with love or happiness, or the enjoyment of being alive. I feel like we're all trapped in all trapped in a toilet and as we swirl around at an ever increasing speed we're being drawn toward the drain leading straight to Hell and oblivion. I want to stand on the highest mountain and scream and scream and scream and scream until every human ear embraces my sorrow, my frustration, my anger, and my fear. I want a moment when every beating heart is in unison, when every human my, body and soul is linked as one so that we truly understand, just for one fleeting second, that none of us are alone.
Maybe then we'll be able to ask the only question that really matters, and will be able to seek out the ultimate answers. The question, is simply "Why?"
- GBB