Tragedy has struck once again. The news has been filled with questions and more questions about how a young man could have been able to follow through with such a horrific crime as what took place on the Virginia Tech campus. Why was he so troubled? It was difficult to listen to the reflections of those who were killed and the heroism that took place cutting short the killing spree that was to be on that day.
These tragic events tend to remind us that tomorrow is not promised to anyone and that life is a very precious gift that we sometimes take for granted. I was trying to decide what to write in this week’s column with the many issues I have facing me as a councilmember, a business owner as well as personal trials. I stopped for a moment today and realized that these issues were nothing compared to those facing some parents who will be faced with burying their children.
My prayers go out to all those who were affected directly and indirectly by this tragedy. I think back on the days when I was a college student and how times have changed. Although each decade seems to have its own unique challenges, in my opinion, they seem to be getting worse. I’m sure our parents and grandparents looked at each generation and scratched their heads in wonderment of how we were all going to make it.
We can point fingers at a variety of reasons we personally think are the causes for events like this but how do we stop them? How can we extract some of the fun and wholesome times of previous generations and share them with future generations? By the time this column goes to print, I will be celebrating the birth of my first grandson. He will be assuming the third child status of my daughter’s young family.
What does his future have in store? It’s frightening to think of the challenges that will face him and his sisters in the future. I feel a tremendous responsibility for the type of world I’ll be leaving to him and his sisters. It scares me to think about how mankind will value life in the generations to come. We should all stop for a moment and take stock in what’s really important in this life and share those feelings with those we love.
Please email me: lkoelling@fostercity.org regarding this or any other issue.
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