Remembering A Tragedy

Yesterday, technically, was the anniversary of the death of Dimebag Darrell. Exactly two years ago to this date I posted a blog entry about my experience during that event. I didn't realize it yesterday, but something happened last night that forced it back into my consciousness.

Last night, at around 1 AM, someone fired a pump-action shotgun at least 3 or 4 times out in the parking lot of the building where I live. I heard the deep shots, which I did not immediately recognize as gunshots, only I thought that I heard over 2 dozen shots before I looked out the window and watched as some cars sped down the road. I heard no sirens and saw no signs of the police, and hours later, I still had heard no signs of them.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who witnessed that event, because other people in the building reported it to the police and had actually seen it happen. They sent an email out to the rest of us. Understandably, our security, especially where the parking lot is concerned was heavy on our minds.

When an incident like a shooting occurs at night right in the vicinity of where you call home, where you like to go out for the evening, or wherever you feel comfortable, you begin to get the disturbing message that safety and security is a luxury when you live in an unsafe and insecure world.

Anyway, I do remember Dimebag. I do remember how he lived. I do remember how he affected the lives of many people, including myself, purely through his music and ther way that he lived. However, I will also always remember the night that I watched Dimebag, as he lay, dying, on the stage. I will remember the people frantically screaming and running out of the club. I will remember the police officers who ran by me, carrying shotguns and Desert Eagles. I will remember the pop,pop,pop of the gunshots and the final boom of the blast that ended the life of the man who killed all those people.

Though I don't consider myself to be a terrorized person, there is no way that I can honestly say that an event like that can escape my consciousness. And I had been through some very traumatic experiences before that one. I think the fact that the event affected so many people all at once, that really makes it stick in my mind.