A Year Later

Forward: As I have mentioned on this site before, I am a student at Virginia Tech. What follows, is my tribute to those who lost their lives a year ago today...

I left my physics lab, zipped up my coat and put on my headphones. I figured that morning was just like all the other Monday mornings, so I cranked up the tunes and walked back to my room. I was probably listening to my usual array of indie music. I let my mind wander, while I was whisked away into a world where music surrounded me and life was good.

As I continued my walk, I ran into a cop and his car that had the way I wanted to walk blocked off. I thought this was a bit weird, but I was already pretty much oblivious to what was going on.

I detoured across the drill field with the few people that were up that early on a Monday morning and I started to notice more cop cars around. It seemed strange, but since nobody stopped me, I continued my trek. Then all of a sudden, I noticed people running away. Once I finally realized that I was the only one on that football field sized lawn, I started to move a little quicker.

If I had not been in my own little world of music, I would have heard the gun shots that were two buildings away from me. I think I would have to count myself lucky for not having heard them, because the day would have been that much more traumatic. Little did I know that at that very moment, one of my friends was risking her life to block a door so that the shooter could not return into her classroom.

Nothing will ever be the same after that day and I haven't ever really talked about just how much that day stays with you no matter how disconnected you feel from it. I'm sure that you have heard this plenty of times now, but Virginia Tech is one big family that faced a tragedy that never should have occurred.

I think that everyone copes with this type of ordeal in different ways, but for me it is the music that keeps me going. The grief that artists put into their music help me commiserate. Music helps raise spirits and the community spirit that is the indie world, helps you feel that you are not alone. They say that laughter is the best medicine, but I think music is the best physician. I hope that those no longer with us are in a place where they can finally be at peace and know that they will be with us always, no matter where we are or what we are doing.

Below is a song that my good friend Slumber wrote after the tragedy and I would have to say that it captures a good amount of the emotion found in all of us after that day. It is one year later, but the memories make it feel like it happened last week.

Slumber - War Misplaced