It has been almost a week now since the shooting that killed 12 people in Auroa, Colorado during the midnight showing of the Batman movie.
I don't need to go into the specifics because by now you know mostly everything that happened. Today I was flipping through the channels and I saw breaking news that this Monday the college in Colorado that he was attending received mail from him on Monday that he had sent. It was a notebook that had drawings of someone killing people, a bunch of images he drew from what I heard.
No matter the way you look at it, the entire thing is scary. We live in a society where we all have places we feel that we can go to and be safe. For example, school, college, resturants, colleges, the movies, our own homes, etc etc. When I first heard of the news Saturday morning I literally was frozen as I sat on my bed.
So many innocent lives were lost day, due to a sick minded man that decided he was going to end so many lives that had such bright futures. I had so many thoughts about this shooting that happened, but today I want to quickly discuss FIVE thoughts that I have after everything that has happened.
1.) The question: How could this HAPPEN: You can think of everything that happened over and over and it doesnt change the fact that we live in an unpredictable world. Sadly, people are abused, die and are killed everyday. :(. What makes this situation worse is that it took place in a movie theater, the last place where anyone would expect such a massacre to take place. All over the news reporters talk about GUN CONTROL and how he could have bought all the ammo and the guns. Yes, he purchased them legally, but the fact of the matter, as a society it is not guns that kill people, PEOPLE kill people. Its an awful thought, but there is nothing we can really do to prevent it. Sometimes the quietest people can be the ones that are going through the worst of times. James Holmez killed so many innocent people, but NO ONE ever would have thought a man could do such a thing. The problem is in society people think there needs to be stricter rules on guns and other weapons, but quite frankly there is not much we can do. People may argue that, but James Holmez just goes to show us ALL that anyone us capable of doing anything no matter how normal we may seem.
2.) A woman brought her 4 month old baby to the midnight premiere. SO MANY PEOPLE are putting blame on the mother and father for this. Yes, they all did survive thankfully, but their getting so much criticism. If the shooting never happened no one would ever say anything, but because of this tragedy people feel they have the right to judge. THAT ONE INCIDENT, does not make them bad parents. Once again people may disagree with me, and I agree that at that time of the night that baby should have been home but that in no right makes them bad people. We all have made mistakes before and they will learn from it. Time to have empathy for all the victims. Enough damage has been done to families for the rest of their lives. When is enough, ENOUGH
3.) The other day the news was talking about this military man that lost his life. He was actually based in Colorado at the time, but was going to see the movie Saturday instead of Friday at night. Two of his military buddies wanted him to go and basically coerced him to go Friday night. It was so packed that night and the man that lost his life went into theater 8, and his two friends got there before hand and had to sit in theater 9. A couple days later one of his military friends that basically made him go was crying on tv, because he blames himself for making him go. His friend his dead and he survived. I legit got teary eyed seeing this on LIVE television. The reporter then looks at him and says twice to his face, "This is not your fault, It is not your fault". I can't help but sit there in the moment and think how this man is going to live the rest of his live with that on his chest. I can't begin to imagine, I really don't even know what to say, it is just sad overall around.
4.) Remember the Columbine shooting, the VA shooting, 9/11, and now this. The thing is there are murders everyday, people lose their lives, and its sad to see people not be more affected by this. It could happen to anyone. This is a time to be aware of our surroundings, the people in our lives. Could more have been done? NO ONE knows the answer to that question, but people have the chance to make in impact in society. Should we pay more close attention to suspicious people? I don't know the answer to that, but it is a reminder that our lives are fragile. One minute and it could be gone. Up NEXT is my final and most important thought concerning the shooting in Colorado.
5.) A time of remembrance, and be grateful. The thing is in our lives we all deal with pain and loss. Whether its a job, a loved one, a relationship, a parent, a life, a valued item etc etc. The concluding thought I have about the shooting in Colorado is that taking a couple minutes of prayer for the victims and their familes and friends would be great. People always say life goes by FAST, but what about the people who lose their lives so young? The people who have no say? It happens everyday, and I hope an incident like this can make people be even more grateful for what they have in their lives. Easier said than done, but can you imagine losing you closest friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a parent etc. It is crazy to think about.
I don't mean to write this and preach, but I even need to be more grateful in my life. The fact is our lives are precious and we need to take advantage of our time with our family and friends. I've had family members die in my family from cancer related problems, ive had family members have breast cancer. I've seen people suffer from not having enough food to eat, I've seen people felt like they have lost their world because of someone committing suicide. The fact is, we all have witnessed hardships in our lives whether it is personally or in the news.
Let today be the beginning of a day where maybe you pray more. Maybe you tell someone you love them one more time. SOMEONE out there can use it. Heck even I need to pray more, there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about someone that needs help, even if it is my family. We're all human and deal with hardships in our daily lives DIFFERENTLY. Some people express it differently than others, some like to write and some like to speak.
Maybe praying is not something you like to do, maybe you could try having someone else in your thoughts. Having someone in your thoughts could change the way you act and behave. It could change the way you think. Maybe God is listening? Who knows, but everyone could it sometime.
Over the past 4 months since I have met my girlfriends Mimi, I often think about her and pray when I can. She is battling cancer again, and even though she has could not walk for a while and could not stand up she is getting much better again. Cancer is a terrible thing for any family to endure! I'm grateful to have a family that is positive when needed and gives me encouragement through my toughest times even if it may be as simple as me being nervous about an exam grade. I even have an absolute wonderful girlfriend who is so strong, even stronger than she can know for not ever giving up on her loves ones who are currently and have been through the hardships of cancer.
SO NOW, we all have difficulties in our lives, and this shooting in Colorado has reminded me to be grateful for my LIFE. yes, MY LIFE. Life is an amazing thing, and to have to even think about it coming to an end is awful. People deserve to be happy. What ever it may be, DON'T EVER LOSE TRACK OF IT. No matter how long your life is, be grateful for what you got, because you never know when it will be gone. Happiness is something we all talk about, so lets be grateful for it, embrace it, and don't lose track of what it means to you.
My prayers go out to everyone, have a great weekend everyone!
Grant H
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