Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Midwest Will Remember


The Omaha shooter sought fame. His definition of fame -- ending his troubled life by making a statement.

There is now a footnote in Nebraska history with his name on it. Yes. But is that fame?

Remembered are those whose lives were taken and tainted by his selfish actions.

The lost grandma or grandpa will be remembered. Grandchildren will cherish Christmas memories, birthdays,Thanksgivings and vacations. Recipes or traditions will be passed along, jokes and tales will be shared and labeled as Grandma's or Grandpa's.

The mother or father ripped from the fabric of the family will be remembered. The deeds, the words, the intimacies will be mourned and missed. The smile will be flash frozen in the minds of sons and daughters. A scent may linger triggering memories of vacations, meals or events. Advice will carry on and continue to be passed down.

The son or the daughter will be remembered -- famous to the family and friends left behind. Inside jokes, special bonds, details of the lives they lived intertwined with a family who loved them and will continue to love them.

Heroes and loved ones are remembered in vibrant color and surround sound.

The perpetrator of this senseless act will become a black and white footnote in Nebraska notoriety.