WABAC

Set the WABAC Machine for October 3, 1987, 7.00 am.

(Insert spacey time travel music)

I am 16 years old and I am in my junior year in high school.

I’m trying to wake up, man I hate getting up early. What will I wear? Maybe I’ll wear black today. Man I wish I could get my hair to stand up higher and I wish I could get it more red, it just isn’t red enough. Maybe if I color it blonde first, then red. Maybe I’ll try that this weekend.

I am so glad it is Friday. I think we are going to see a movie in Highland tonight, I guess we’ll eat at Bonanza afterwards. I should see who could go to mall and U-city tomorrow, I want to get some new records.

U2 is in a couple weeks but I’m much more excited about Husker Du, I love them! (A nasty turn of events makes me miss Husker Du, it turns out they break-up two shows later and yes, I am still bitter about that).

Oh yeah, school, better go.

(Insert spacey time travel music)

See what is missing here? I am not worried about being shot, attacked, bound, and assaulted or being taken hostage.

At the risk of sounding like an old lady or an annoying parent, I have to say, in my day we just didn’t have to worry about crazy shit like this.

We had fights, and we even had a couple that lead to people going to the hospital and they were the talk of the town for days. But these were fights between two people and no one brought a gun to school to "finish" the fight later. And don’t tell me kids didn’t have guns because I went to high school in the middle of the country and I am very sure that a large portion of my school had access to many many guns. Proof would be that the first day of deer season there were very few people in class.

I don’t know what has changed and why this happens an awful lot now, but I don’t think it is all the violent video games, movies or music. I think kids are cruel, but they have always been cruel. I think parents could do more, but since I am not one I don’t know that it is that easy.

I do think it is at least curious that the more the press obsesses on these events the more of them we have.