What I choose to remember the most are the 32 people who were killed that day at Virginia Tech. When I look at their bios, I am struck by the outstanding character that is obvious with most of them.
These were winners! A Holocaust survivor who held the door while students escaped through a second-story window; begin riddled with bullets in the process. A French teacher who seemed to possess a special connection with her students. A former wrestler who was killed while tackling the gunman.
Even more impressive is the public service resumes that had already been compiled by folks in their late-teens to early twenties. These were people who were on their way to becoming outstanding adults. It's trendy for middle-aged folks like myself to view the younger generation with benign disdain. To laugh at their ability to hold conversations while texting. The lives these young people led before their death should make all of us forty-somethings rethink our views on the next generation.
One in particular stands out. As a hopeless Detroit Tigers fan, I became familiar with the Motown Sports website years ago. Among the most frequent contributors was Brian Bluhm. He was also one of the best posters. I noticed that he had a VT logo as his avatar. I shot him an e-mail and he replied; talking about our shared love of the Hokies and the Tigers---and how trying both teams can be!
Brian was shot twice while sitting in an Engineering class in the second floor of Norris Hall. I wished I had e-mailed him more often.
I guess it shows maturity on my part that I've pretty much forgiven the shooter. Evil takes many forms and envelops people. Such it was with Cho. I hope his tortured soul is finally at peace. His final resting place is not my call.
I won't dwell on the tragedy today. I'll play with my kids and try to be a good husband and daddy. Tonight, I'll have a couple of beers and track the Tigers' game on the Internet. But a part of me will be thinking about Brian and the others.
Ut prosim.
