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Violent World
I'm like most of us, I think. I "tsk tsk tsk" when the news babbles on about some senseless act of violence. But it doesn't invade my world or the world of those close to me.
I was shocked back into reality last night...
Dan has been a good friend for something approaching 15 years. He's a lifelong San Diego resident, in decent physical shape at 50 years of age. A week ago, while calmly eating breakfast and checking his mail on his iPhone while seated at an outside table at a local juicery, an individual reached over his shoulder, grabbed the phone from his hand, and started walking away. Dan did what I suspect most of us would do, he followed the man, and demanded his phone back. The perp whirled around, punched Dan in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Dan got up and was rewarded with a few more punches. Dan was able to trip up the perp, which sent the phone flying, and Dan was able to retrieve it. Perp once again walked away (no, not running). Dan flagged down a mall maintenance man and then a security guard. Their reward was an excellent Rod Blagojevich response from the perp. When the guard attempted to restrain the perp, yet another scuffle ensued. Dan and the maintenance man jumped in to aid the guard when it became evident that the perp was about to pummel the guard. Dan was again thrown to the ground, this time using his bruised but still functioning iPhone to call 911. Four police cars responded rapidly, the officers finally able to take the perp into custody.
Dan's injuries were a fractured jaw and elbow as well as some severe sprains in one leg and arm. In hindsight and from the relative security of my office chair, I can say that Dan got off pretty easy. Best not to imagine what might have transpired had the perp used a knife or gun. Dan will recover, the perp will hopefully be incarcerated for some time. Dan, a world class pun-ster, is already making jokes about the whole incident.
The message - we do live in a violent world that can unexpectedly come crashing down on us.