April 17, 2007 at 1:26 pm
· Filed under Reflections
To all the students, faculty, parents and community members of Virginia Tech, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. There are no words that will we can say that will reduce the pain and shock you all are feeling.
My first visit to the very quiet, rural campus of Virginia Tech took place in 1985. I had gone there for a high school math contest (yes, I was a geek). I remember making comments about how we were going out in to the country and how things were so different from our hustle, bustle suburban Northern Virginia lifestyle. When considering my college options, VT was just too country for me. I opted for University of Texas at Austin instead - ironically, the site of another shocking school murder in 1966. After a year at UT, I chose to come back and finish my college education at George Mason University.
My brothers both chose Virginia Tech for their college experiences and enjoyed every minute of it! While they were there, I took plenty of weekend trips out to Blacksburg to visit them. It is just such a comfortable college environment.
Due to the school’s location, academic excellence and great atmosphere for that first step into the real world, many high school students from our area choose to go on to VT. I can envision at least one of my own children attending VT, too. Even though we are at least four hours away from the campus, everyone in our community is being touched by this incident. We all seem to have some connection to the school, know someone there or know someone who went there.
You never think it can happen to you or to your community. We all like to feel insulated from it all in some way. I hope that the Virginia Tech community can rally around itself much like other communities have in the face of tragedy and let the healing begin.
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Ingo wrote @ April 17th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Thanks for the words Char.
Mein tiefes Mitgefühl für alle betroffenen Familien, Angehörige, Studenten und Lehrkräfte. Auch hier, viele tausend Meilen entfernt, ist die Welt für einen Augenblick stehen geblieben. Niemand kann es fassen, niemand kann es verstehen. Die Menschen sind in Gedanken und mit ihren Wünschen bei Euch.
Ingo Scheuse
[…] Virginia Tech - Let the healing begin at Casual Keystrokes […]
Angela wrote @ April 17th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
This has been a tough one, hasn’t it? I avoided television news yesterday because I knew if I turned it on I would be stuck to it and well … after 9/11 and the fear that blew through me I was glued to my T.V. for an entire month.
I didn’t know you went to the University of Texas in Austin. My cousin Jeff graduated from there a few years back. He’s on the east coast now in Pennsylvania somewhere. This was a really nice post Char.
Char wrote @ April 17th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Ingo - thanks for your kind sentiments.
Angela - yes, it is tough. I won’t watch anymore of it on TV - it is too disturbing.
[…] Virginia Tech. That had been motivation enough NOT to add my 2 cents, but reading some very well articulated blogs that have expressed commentary on all aspects of this tragedy, I am motivated to say a few words. […]
Ryan wrote @ April 18th, 2007 at 3:08 am
RIP to those who perished.
I love the support that they are getting from around the world. During times of crisis, it’s good to know that people will pull together and start the healing process.
May god rest their souls.
Hi Char
Thanks for your evocative words, Char. People all over the world are touched by a tragedy such as this. It seems unbelievable.
Yvonne
Gayla wrote @ April 18th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Beautiful Char.
I’m purposely avoiding television today so I can digest the range of emotions I am personally feeling. From sorrow for the loss of life — to the confusion of just how someone could fall to such a dark place that they would take such horrible actions against their self let alone so many other people.
I remember when I took my own boys to be treated for depression, the doctor explained to them in such a strong commanding way that IF they don’t feel that one medication works, to realize there are more. There IS something that will work and it is never hopeless.
I only wish more people like my children’s doctor would explain these things to kids.
As hopeless as it seems at times, it doesn’t always have to be that way.
V-Grrrl wrote @ April 18th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Amen!
[…] our community, like many others, was deeply touched and affected by the tragic events that day. I shared my feelings publicly while I was still somewhat in shock. We wore maroon and orange for the […]
[…] our community, like many others, was deeply touched and affected by the tragic events that day. I shared my feelings publicly while I was still somewhat in shock. We wore maroon and orange for the […]
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