Beware Young Men Who Never Smile

So it was a lazy day yesterday at Villa Wifey -- got up and fed the dogs and read the Sunday paper. I was going to have breakfast with Norman's boys, but plans got complicated, so I just hung around. The only plans were to visit my ancient suegra -- I haven't seen her in several weeks.

A news flash came across my phone -- another multiple shooting, this one at a gamers' meeting in Jacksonville. Really -- the holy bastion of nerds? It was true, and by later evening, they identified the shooter as 24 year old David Katz from Baltimore -- he was a known Madden football gamer who had won the tournament a few years ago, was losing yesterday, and so decided the thing to do was kill two fellow players and then himself.

By today, they had video interviews of him from years back. He was sullen faced as he discussed his video wins. He could have been a twin of the nut who shot up the Colorado movie theater a few years ago, or the loser who killed the kids in Sandy Hook.

I fear young men who never smile. The world is so rich for them -- opportunities for their lives are like mushrooms -- just there for the taking. And yet their demons instead summon blackness, evil, and never joy.

We visited the Palace, and my suegra was in full voice. She's deaf, and so doesn't realize how loud she is, but it's truly remarkable that a nearly 94 year old has the strength to project as she does. Even the rest of the mostly hard of hearing group winces when she yell-talks.

Our usual move is to take her outside, under a gazebo, but yesterday was prohibitively hot and humid, so we stayed inside. An acquaintance of Wifey's was there with HER 95 year old mother -- she moved in a few months ago after a series of falls. Her husband is a retired doctor, and the guy loves to talk and talk -- about his education and career. He never comes up for air, and after about 20 minutes of being on the receiving end of this, I feigned a cell call and got up.

I returned, and he started right up again -- actually discussing the science classes he took in high school in the late 50s. I told Wifey our next visit needs to be after dinner -- or I need to run away.

But the fellow is harmless, is the point -- unlike these young male shooters. How are their hears and souls so empty that they need to be filled with violence?

The world is so crazy and unsafe -- even a space seemingly a bastion of nerdy fun -- gaming -- can get you killed.

I guess the only answer is to live your life...and hope. Hope the truck doesn't cross the median and take you out. Hope the lightning doesn't strike. Hope the blood test results don't come back in a way that's going to insure that the long term muni bonds you bought will be claimed by someone else when they mature...

And hope that some nerdy loser doesn't pick up a gun and start shooting.