Wow. Today was a whirlwind of craziness for a little bit.
I am a student at The University of Oklahoma, and if you were anywhere close to the national news today, you probably heard about the craziness that took place on our campus for a while.
We got texts about a shooter on campus, and so many rumors were going around (thank goodness, this was a false alarm and these rumors have not been found to be true). As you can probably imagine, everyone was in a state of paralyzed shock. I happened to be in the building just across from the suspected scene, so I was very very frightened – this is a worst nightmare, and so very scary. Luckily, I have a friend who was in the military for ten years. I could not be more thankful for my friend. Not only did he serve our country for a decade, but he took the time and made the effort to comfort not just me, but he made sure that everyone was safe. I am amazed by his strength and his willingness to protect others. Selflessness – that is not something that we see often in this day and age.
Today was supposed to be a Wellness Wednesday, and I was going to write about gym-itimidation. But I think what I have taken from today is much more valuable (but I’ll still do that post tomorrow).
Today I realized how lucky I am to be surrounded with the people who I am surrounded by. Each person’s efforts to take care of each other stunned me, and in a good way. I realized that I really have some very true friends – when everyone is in such a vulnerable state and certain individuals are concerned with you, not themselves, it becomes obvious that those people are good to the core. Wow, I am so wonderfully blessed by my friends and my Sooner family.
I learned to be thankful. Between these amazing friends, the composed and brave President Boren, and all of the responders, I could not be filled with more gratitude – I go to a school where I know safety is a priority, and I know that I know people who really care. Fortunately, everyone here in Norman is okay, and this is such a sweet blessing. The feeling I felt when I was hearing all of those different crazy stories was the worst ever… and I am so thankful that no one had to be in the scariest situation of all today. Unfortunately, instances like this one don’t always have an ending like this one, and my heart belongs to those who have suffered from horrible school shootings. I cannot imagine the feelings that individuals whom have dealt with things like this in a bigger way feel. I cannot believe that this is such a concern – it is a huge problem that many people live in fear of these kinds of events.
I am so proud to be part of a college community that has been so supportive and calm during this time. We are so lucky as a Sooner family today.
One side note: if you ever feel unsafe or feel the need to get out of a situation, just get out if you can do so in a safe matter. Safety is always priority, ALWAYS.
Look forward to Wellness (Thursday) tomorrow! Stay safe, and Boomer Sooner!
the good life gal 