Heart Heavy

A couple of things happened over the weekend.

First off, I couldn't take sitting around not being a part of the world. I decided to forego a portion of my rest my sore tendon. I got up off the couch and headed to work. I just couldn't take what I was seeing on the news and feeling in my heavy heart.

Just too much.

I headed for the convenience store and my daily chat with a real nice lady who collects my money for the papers. I pointed to the headline about the president's speech on Sunday night.

She started crying.

I thought of my wife crying as Obama read off the names of the children.

I thought of the Bruce song:

This is a prayer for the souls of the departed, those who've gone and left their parents broken-hearted. Their lives over before they got started. This is a prayer for the souls of the departed.


My boy was still waiting in the driveway for his bus to come. I wanted to grab him and hug him, but he's 15. He might have kneed me in a bad spot.

"Have a great day, buddy," I said.

Our kids are off at school. My wife works in a public spot. Stopping for a coffee may be a life-ending proposition.

How is it possible?

In the United States of America?

In your hometown?

In my hometown?

And the pro-gun people are out in force because there is a threat in the air. Yet the threat is felt way more by just the regular Joe.

And I don't even care to argue the point anymore. I just want our world back.

I thought about the fact that there is a better chance to be struck by lightning than to be a victim of gun violence, but that was of little comfort.

There's still a threat.

And I thought of the fact that we need armed guards everywhere we go, and that don't feel like the way to go.

It will dissipate, but I'm not sure that's a great idea. It needs to stay on the front burner.

We need to control it somehow.

Because carrying a heart so heavy that it hurts to move is just too much.

For way too many of us.