I wasn't going to post anything about the horrific events that happened recently at Virginia Tech. I really wasn't.

Do you ever feel like you're surprised that these awful things don't happen even more often than they do? I felt cold & hardened that I sort of felt that way. I wanted to cry, but couldn't. How could evil build up in someone so uncontrollably? The media kept saying things like, the shooter was "troubled" & he had "issues with people". I wanted to scream.

They played what they called his "manifesto" constantly on TV. I'm all for free speech...but where is the sense in playing the rantings of a lost, crazy, self-important, soon to be monster on network TV?

I finally cried after seeing a tribute to one of the victims. Her name was Julia Pride. Her friends had gathered for a candlelight ceremony in a field on Friday. She was a 23 year old grad. student studying environmental engineering. Her friend got up to talk about how Julia had cared about the environment, she spoke beautifully about her friend & just as she was ending she said, "please, please don't leave your plastic cups or candles on the field. Throw them away. That's what Julia would have wanted."

It really wasn't what her friend said that made me cry...it was how she said it...sort of a cross between choking up with tears & a bit of laughter at asking people to clean up after themselves because her friend would have loved that...laughter through tears...that's a hopeful thing, right?