The Way of the World

Herself speaks.

The text from Offspring the First came in a little bit before 10 AM:

There is a possible sighted shooter at [place near her employment] and I am hiding in the back room of [employer] with my employees! They have a million cops roaming around so I don't think this will escalate but I am giving you a heads up!! I love you!!

Good God.

I thought about the Orlando club shooting, and the text messages that were made public from it - "Mommy I love you. In club they shooting". What does one text back in that situation? What if, God forbid, those words are the last they hear from you?

I love you too sweetie. Keep safe, you mean the world to us. 

Mercifully, about 40 minutes later she texted again that they had been given the all clear.

And this incident -- bullet casings, reports of a shooter, but no one identified or arrested -- will disappear, never having made it beyond a brief article in the local news. Just a day at work for my daughter.

This is the world in which we live.

Unfathomable.