"I know it becomes routine, waking up to another day is a not always expected. Wake up and be thankful that you are alive. Thankful for what you have instead of what you don't. Proud of who you are instead of who you are not."
This is what I posted to my Facebook earlier today. A lot of us think, okay tomorrow I've got this to do and this person to meet up with. But honestly, we are not promised tomorrow. It is expected for each day to continue in progression like it has every other day of our lives. But in all honesty, today could be the last day.
A couple of days ago I was working in the mall, doing my routine duties as a sales associate. A customer ran up to me frantically yelling "HE HAS A GUN! HE HAS A GUN!" I had no clue what she was talking about and I hesitated. Then a huge group of customers started screaming and running towards the back store out the emergency exit. I was running with two of my co-workers, but one of them went back inside because she realized her mother was still in the mall. My other co-worker and I were in the parking lot and everyone was screaming. They were hugging their children, their loved ones. It was honestly like a movie or a crime show. We didn't know if the gunman would run out to the parking lot so my co-worker and I ran across the street to an auto-shop. Two young boys were with us. My co-worker and I had left all of our belongings, including our cell phones and keys. One of the boys let me use his cell phone. I tried desperately to remember any phone number I could, since I was away from most relatives on a college campus. Thankfully, I knew my cousin's number and he could come and pick me up. While I waited, a local neighbor said that he heard approximately eight gunshots fired. He offered us rides home, but I said my cousin was on his way. We waited about 20 minutes in the cold for the boys' parents to pick them up. Most of the roads were blocked off, as well as my cousin's access to me. There were at least 20 cop cars. It was so frantic and confusing. The mall was on lockdown and people were trapped inside stores and hallways for safety. No one was sure whether anyone was wounded or even killed. I had never experienced anything like that before in my life, even coming from a town outside Chicago. My cousin finally got through and he picked me up. I called my mom once I arrived to his apartment, with her knowing I was safe. My roommate was working as well so I was also trying to get in contact with her. I got in contact with her a half an hour later and she was safe, but she was locked in her store. I had to pick up my keys, coat, and phone a while later when security was sure the premises was safe. There were rumors that people were indeed killed. Thankfully, there were no deaths, but there were two wounded victims in which one was a gunman by a cop. And the police were reported to have at least three suspects in custody. Still, I was pretty shaken up that entire evening.
I never expected anything like that to happen, especially in central Illinois. It took me a while to go to sleep that night, but I woke up the next morning thinking how thankful I was that I was safe and secure...and alive. Like I said, it becomes routine to expect what always happens. But whether in a gang-prone area in an urban setting, or a small town in a local shopping center, you never know what can happen; who will come out of town and cause trouble; who will lose all common sense and cause harm to others. So, no matter how mundane you may think your life is, be appreciative of what you have right now. Your life. Your family and/or friends. Your talents. Your abilities. If you have online access to this blogpost, you are already living better than most of the people in this world. That is a testament in itself. So with that, be thankful for who you are and what you've got going for yourself right now. Yes, it could be better; but it could be a lot worse. Know that, there can't be a testimony without a test.
~L~
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