Turning the corner, I could see that the morning paper had arrived in the driveway. It’s never there when I leave with Flo around 5:00 or 5:30. If it is, I let it lie (or is it “lay” one of the more troublesome words for me and I don’t know why. But I digress).
As usual Flo turns right toward the house and, if the paper is there, I turn left to pick it up. I get a slight resistance, but I do win out. As a precaution to rain, the paper is encased in a sleeve of plastic. Today’s color of choice was water downed, tangerine orange.
I noticed right away that the headline was turned toward the asphalt. I picked the paper up, turned it over and read, “Night of Terror” Cap subheads to each side continued, “TRUCK ATTACK KILLS 80 IN FRENCH CITY OF NICE. DRIVER SHOT TO DEATH AFTER HITTING REVELERS.”
“Son of a BITCH!” I heard my voice pierce the silence of the morning. “God Damn it!” Yes, I have a potty mouth at times. So turn me in. I continued to mutter to myself as I turned the paper over again to read the lead paragraph, “A truck rammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French Riviera city of Nice on Thursday night, killing at least 80 people in an apparent terrorist attack as the driver also opened fire on revelers, French officials said.” (All quotes from The Chicago Tribune 7.15.16)
WTF! is wrong with these people!? I continued to talk to myself as I headed toward the back porch door. Flo, oblivious to my speaking to myself about the carnage that had taken place, had one thing on her mind – food. But to be honest, it seems if it doesn’t happen to you or a loved one – life goes on.
I prepared Flo’s breakfast and continued to read the article. “We are at war with terrorists who want to strike us at any price and in a very violent way,” French Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueve was quoted as saying soon after the senseless murders of innocent people had taken place
I started the morning out angry. Yet, I continued to read, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and other loved ones of those killed,” Obama said. Said. Said. Said! How about DO! DO! DO! No I haven’t got the answer how to stop these nuts from murdering innocent people, but I couldn’t help but forget the FDA, the show, the cigars, the utter nonsensical minutia of “I’m missing a box in my order”, or “Why don’t you carry that size,” or “Do you have it in Maduro?” The incident consumed my day and beyond.
There’s a saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.” And it is. It really, truly is. Fighting ideologues with birdseed for brains is where our energies ought to be. I am not going into what my thoughts or solutions would be to do away with this type of mass killing.
We have a God. They have a God. He is watching us. He is watching them. He is trying to see if we are able, with our learned wisdom and infinite intelligence can come out of this cycle of hatred alive. I can imagine Him with his head in his hands, tears dripping from His eyes repeating over and over and over, “They have a choice. They can choose good over evil. And look what they decide to do with all that I’ve provided to them.”
He is saddened. Yes, we will lose more friends, relatives, parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. But we have a free will and look what we’re doing with it. LOOK what people have decided to do!
We are all on the same planet people!!! Is our only form of peace death? There is room for everyone. There truly is. I am going to have a cigar tonight and I will sit in the backyard and I will look up into the night sky and wonder to myself, why – My Dear God in Heaven – Why?
IrvCigarBroker 