Newtown

As I reflect upon Friday's tragedy, a seemingly unrelated anecdote comes to me.

When I was a little kid, I was unsure exactly of what I wished to be when I grew up.  

In fact, I wanted to be everything. 

My pops told me that there was a name for those who wished such things, and that name was "lunatic."  

So, for a long time, when people asked me what I was to become upon reaching adulthood, I told them a "lunatic." 

Here's the thing, this tale is not unrelated from Friday's madness.  

You see, the story reminds me of the best period of a person's life.  A time before stress, problems, and issues become reality. 

Back then I was blissfully innocent. 

The surviving children of Newtown, those witness to the violence, have had their own innocence ripped from them.  Much too early in their lives.