Yes, it was horrible. I called a business associate to touch base and could tell something was bothering him. We were about to hang up and I came out with it, "Are you okay? Do you need to talk about something?" "My son was at Virginia Tech," he said.
What could I do with that? I told him to quit work, go for a walk, hug his wife, tell his son and daughter everything he'd never told them before, play the cornet, drink some good scotch.
What could I do with that?
Fortunately his son was safe. The "was" in his phrase didn't mean passed, only past tense. His son was home at the time we talked.
I listened to him, to his voice, his tone. He was exhausted. I listened and heard something that stayed with me past the horror, past the pain, past the outrage, and please forgive me for noting what I heard here.
He didn't keep himself updated by watching TV or listening to the radio, nor did he get on the phone or call his son's cell.
He got on the net. Not only had his son emailed him, other VT people were emailing. They were posting to blogs, putting up videos some cellphones.
I don't know if other people have noted this, but it seems to me that mainstream media has lost its hold on reporting. Citizen reporting has taken hold. A group came together and established itself in The Village, and in a way no news network could have.
Welcome to the Village. This time used for healing and hearing.
And more to follow...
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