Thursday, September 11, 2008

Hey Nineteen, That's 'Reatha Franklin

Two of my co-workers and I had an interesting conversation this morning. They were trying to remember what year the Columbine school shooting happened. (It was April of 1999.) That was the year I graduated college. It was the year one co-worker graduated high school. For the other co-worker (admittedly, the youngest in the office), that was seventh grade. (I KNOW, RIGHT?!) But what was interesting was that the girl who was in seventh grade when it happened told us how it had impacted her high school experience. She said the kids made lists of who was likely to shoot people and who was likely to be shot. She said they were often afraid. It was really eye-opening to me, because I was well out of high school when that happened and I was never once afraid to be at school. What a horrible feeling that must be.

8 comments:

d e v a n said...

I graduated that year, less than a month later I think, and it was scary to think about that. I tell ya, I was glad to get out of high school.

TSintheC said...

Wow - I know we (I was in H.S. 1978-1981) had "narcs" that roamed the halls making sure that we didn't come to school stoned (although we had "smoking" rooms...for those cigarette smokers) - but I was never, ever afraid of another student.

Wow.

Shelly said...

Devan - I bet you were. It's so shocking to me that kids were afraid to go to high school. I know it's only logical after something that horrible, but having never experienced, I had never thought about it.

Shelly said...

Hot - How funny. I've always heard of "narcs", but never experienced that, either. And the fact that you had smoking rooms is hilarious. Our smokers just stood outside. I was never afraid either, and the whole idea kind of blows me away.

Anonymous said...

What a scary reality to actually ponder something like that in school - I am grateful I am from the era where that Steely Dan song brings back many a good memory!

Shelly said...

Hey princess - I know, isn't that crazy. I love that song. :)

Alice said...

wow. i never thought about that. i was in college, and it didn't really occur to me that it could happen on my college campus. oy.

Alice said...

ALTHOUGH, we did have the DC Sniper riiiiight when i moved down here after school, and oh my lord was THAT nerve wracking. we'd get forwards every day giving "tips" about how to make it harder to be shot. and when they thought he was in a white van for a while? DUDE< have you ever noticed how many effing plain white vans there are?!?! i used to stand at the bus stop and prepare to run / duck every time i saw a white van in the distance.