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In An Instant


Life is strange-and not always in a “funny” way. At times it’s downright catastrophic.


I’m sure you all heard about the rampage that happened here in the great OC of California in a small beach town called Seal Beach-the one where a deranged man came in and open fired at the hair salon where his ex-wife worked? He killed 8.


My parents’ live a mere 5 miles from this salon. The kids in that community went to both junior and senior high school with me. My grandparents lived in the retirement community that occupies probably over half the actual mileage of the town. In short, I have a history with the little burg.


What on earth drives people to such despair that not only do they drag themselves into oblivion, but feel that they can’t leave it at that and must take others who are innocent with them?


Did this supposedly “wonderful and devoted father” (this was said by neighbors whom were interviewed by local TV reporters) think before he gathered all these weapons that by killing his son’s mother that he was forever changing the course of all their lives-AND NOT FOR THE GOOD????


As if this tragedy weren’t enough-he had to completely destroy all those other families? Maybe I’m a bit touchy about all this because I also was on the CSU, Fullerton campus during the killing rampage there way back in the mid-70’s or maybe because I’ve lost a sibling to a horrible death right in front of me at age 4-it could even be because I’m still grieving for the loss of my fur kid, whatever it is-I’m furious that this has happened to this little boy.


Someone in the neighborhood who didn’t want his name known said it best-“I have no idea what’s to become of this sweet and innocent victim of his father’s stupidity. He lost his mother to a violent death created by his father and he will now go through his life with the knowledge that this man who contributed to his birth is a mass murderer of untold proportions.”



We all do things that we later regret-whether it’s minor like overindulging in food or drink or a major gaff like talking/texting on our cell phones while driving and causing an accident, unfortunately it is human nature to make bad choices at various times of our lives. Hopefully, we all learn from them and become better people after our atonements.



But what will this man do to correct his gargantuan sinful mistakes? When the things one does are so bad that there’s not even a scale to measure them, how can even the slightest bit of healing begin?


I for one don’t care about the perpetrator’s soul-he deserves to be in purgatory, but I do care about the friends and families of the victims-they will move on, the horror they feel will eventually lessen, but it will never leave or be forgotten.