Friday, April 20, 2007

Coping


My coworkers and I will gather today at noon for a moment of silence in a service of remembrance. Our governor has declared today a statewide day of mourning for the victims of the senseless Virginia Tech murders. Splashes of orange and maroon catch my attention as employees pass my office door in the course of their daily work.

Those of us who did not have any VT attire have pinned on orange and maroon ribbons, showing our sadness for those lost and our support for those left behind. There's actually been an alumni-led declaration of a national "Orange and Maroon Effect" day slated for today; they're calling it "Hokie Hope". This is how we cope.

We were shocked by the initial reports, horrified by the day's developments, and dismayed that the media made a celebrity of a sick, murderous man. I've stopped watching the news. I quickly scan headlines on the internet, but I can't bear to see those photographs again.

Time, thankfully, heals.

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