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3/09/2009

About yesterday

Last Wednesday, Velvet Verbosity published the word for the 100 Word Challenge. The word was "Tragic". I wrestled with that word - I racked my brain - but I just drew a blank. Understand, I am more than familiar with things Tragic. In my life, I have seen way too much tragedy. But I could NOT, for the life of me, put my mind to the 100 Word Challenge. Or at least, I wasn't able to formulate anything that made any sense.

I was so beaten by this word I didn't publish a Sunday post at 12:01 AM like I always do. I decided to sleep on it, instead.

Sunday morning came and I still didn't know what I was going to do - but I thought that if I couldn't come up with a 100 Word response I would just leave Saturday out there and call it a day. The Saturday post would just have to do for the weekend.

I went into the office at 11:30AM to do some preliminary work I needed to get done, before I got started on the serious stuff at 3:00PM. And at 1:00PM I called the guy from the vendor. I was going to work with this guy, by phone from Maryville, Illinois, to get the cutover to the new storage system done. When he answered the phone I could hear in his voice that something was wrong.

He told me that he wasn't going to be able to work with me, that there was another guy, a local guy, who was expecting my call. The local man would work with me to get it done. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that his pastor had been shot three times, and killed. During services. During the sermon. In front of his congregation.

I was stunned. And speechless. I stumbled and stuttered for a minute and finally gathered my wits and started to mumble something about how I couldn't believe such a thing could happen.

I told him how sorry I was and that I would let him go - I told him I knew he had other things on his mind, oh God did he have other things on his mind, and I knew there were things to take care of and I thanked him for taking the time to tell me about what had happened. We hung up and I tried to digest what I had just been told.

I wrote my 100 Word Challenge in less than five minutes. It's the saddest thing I've done in a long time. I wasn't sure it was appropriate - I hesitated before hitting publish. I felt, in a strange way, a little guilty about it. But I also felt like I knew why I hadn't been able to write it sooner.

If you haven't read it, it's here.

Ndinombethe.

18 comments:

Shadow said...

what??? for real??? that's TERRIBLE.

Eric S. said...

I saw that on the news this morning. You know how it is, you think OMG, and I wonder how the congregation is handling it. Then you go about your routine not thinking about it. But now, I know someone who has been affected, even if only by association with a member of the congregation. It changes the way you look at it.

You did good to post it.

Unknown said...

I just read it. Gives me the shivers and hits a nerve...weird times we live in.

Momisodes said...

I can't even imagine what everyone who was there is going through, much less his family.

So sudden, and so unexpected.

Really puts things into perspective.

Unknown said...

Oh Lou! I have goosebumps. The Universe wanted you to wait for the right time. I don't think you should feel guilty at all, it's a tribute to the situation.

Vikki North said...

Hi Lou-
I think you're absolutely right about something else being in play with your quandary as to what to write. It was there- stalling you because it needed to arrive in it’s own time frame. It was really an outstanding piece.

BTW- that little project we talked about- Are you ready to get busy?
Vikki

Jientje said...

How horrible!
Things like that should not happen to good people, but they do.
We had a killing at a baby's daycare centre here in Belgium. Two nine month old babies and one of the employees were killed, and a couple of others were injured by a madman with a butcher's knife. That same (young) man killed a 78 old lady a week or two before that. Stuff like that is beyond me. WHY?

Jientje said...

How horrible!
Things like that should not happen to good people, but they do.
We had a killing at a baby's daycare centre here in Belgium. Two nine month old babies and one of the employees were killed, and a couple of others were injured by a madman with a butcher's knife. That same (young) man killed a 78 old lady a week or two before that. Stuff like that is beyond me. WHY?

Wait. What? said...

Lou how terrible. I think writing things like that out help me to get them out of my head, there is no guilt in taking care of yourself and writing and taking pictures is how you do that I think.

Anglophile Football Fanatic said...

As soon as I saw the town you mentioned, I immediately knew what you were going to say. Can you believe his bible took 4 of the shots aimed at him?

Tara R. said...

That is so very sad. I think your post was more than appropriate. It was a poignant tribute.

Joyce-Anne said...

I think you HAD to write that 100 words. It was well done and a nice tribute.

Holly said...

I heard the story of the pastor getting shot. As soon as I saw "Maryville" in your post, I somehow knew that's what was so tragic. I'm sorry....

Unknown said...

Shadow: Yes, shadow, It was terrible.

Eric S: I feel uneasy taking any kind of satisfaction in what I have written, though.

NicoleB: Very strange, And terribly sad.

Momisodes: I still haven't processed this whole thing properly.

Hyphen Mama: Maybe so - but it still just feels weird.

Redchair: Yes. I am ready. Will email in the morning.

Jientje: Who knows why? Not me.

Cat: It was just so sad.

AFF: I've heard several different accounts of just what happened.

Tara R: Thank you, Tara.

Joyce-Anne: It was all I could do.

Crimzen Creative said...

I cannot imagine such a thing and it pains me to hear about it so close to home. You did right writing about it.

Theresa said...

''But I also felt like I knew why I hadn't been able to write it sooner.''

Indeed.

Myst_72 said...

That's awful Lou.

How tragic.

G
xx

Sage Ravenwood said...

I look at it as a tribute to the man who died. You described Tragic as it truly is, unexpected and without mercy. The world is indeed full of it's own monsters, they live to prey on the innocent. (Hugs)Indigo