Too close to home

Monday was a busy day, and I went around in my little academic bubble, oblivious to what was happening in the wider world. I didn't hear about the Virginia Tech Massacre until late in the afternoon Monday when a student mentioned it in class. Students are great at making sure professors stay in touch with reality. This student was pretty shaken up. A number of her friends are students at Virginia Tech, and she had been unable to contact them. I presented the day's material rather quickly; then we discussed school violence and had a moment of silence. I dismissed early.

Today, a colleague who had attended Virginia Tech told me a little more about the institution. It's very large, but it's really the major enterprise in Blacksburg, Virginia. He said it was unbelievable this something like that could happen anyplace so peaceful and rural.

To lead a satisfactory life, we have to go around expecting the world to be consistent and safe. I don't expect to be struck by lightning tomorrow; nor do I worry much about terrorists or earthquakes. I don't think too much about burglars, though I lock my doors. When I did social work in New York, I took reasonable precautions, but I did many home visits in unsafe places. I encourage my children-- all of whom live in large cities-- to be aware of danger, but to get on with their lives. That's what we do until we're confronted with something like this. The world, after all, is not safe.

Here in Johnson City, the people with ties to Virginia Tech are having the worst time with what occurred. For them, the danger and uncertainty have come very close to home. I understand how they feel. All Americans were stunned by 911. But for native New Yorkers like me, 911 was different again. Many times, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge with my father. Pictures like the one below are not just horrifying; I find them surreal. And yet, I go on with life, expecting to be safe.