A Lifetime of Tragedies

Recently I was thinking about all of the tragedies that I remember in my lifetime.

In 1991, I was 9 years old. While walking to basketball practice, all of the dads were talking about the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Well, not all of the dads, my dad was already dead. Oh, and it was birthday.

In 1993, the FBI massacred the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas. I didn't really understand what happened until years later. Did you know Tim McVeigh watched the assault live in person?

In 1995, Tim McVeigh set off a truck bomb in Oklahoma City, destroying a federal building and killing hundreds. I remember hearing about it as my friend's dad drove my friend and I home from baseball practice.

In 1998, al Qaeda bombed U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing hundreds. But it wasn't on U.S. soil (well, technically it was), so it doesn't count. By year's end, the U.S. bombed Iraq and Afghanistan. Sound familiar?

In 1999, I watched on television as Columbine High School housed a massacre. In the coming weeks, my high school had a ton of bomb threats. Ah, youth.

On September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacked the U.S., killing thousands. The night before, my friend and I got season tickets to watch Michael Jordan's return to the NBA. I was so happy. I spent the early morning hours of September 11 going for a walk in order to release my excitement. It was the first and only time I've ever gone for a walk because I was in a good mood.

In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq as a follow up to the war in Afghanistan. The war started on the first day of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, so I missed the first set of games because I was protesting. Bastards!

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast including New Orleans. I didn't follow the news about the hurricane until it hit, because I didn't trust the media. I thought they were overreacting to the situation. I guess I messed that up. I wasn't the only one.

In 2007, dozens were shot to death on the campus of Virginia Tech. Shortly after, I passed by the hometown of the shooter on my way to tutor a Korean student who had been victimized by racism because of the shooting.

What was the reason to get out of bed, again? I forgot.