Century 16 Shooting.......

With my time off i decided to take some time a visit the memorial. Now for anyone that doesn't know, I am Gateway class of '97. I am proud to say i called Aurora my home, and to this day i still do, just a different side of town. I grew up at Aurora mall, had one of my 1st jobs there used to ditch school to go there. It was a place we all hung out. The theatre came later, after i graduated and stopped visiting the mall, but i have many fond memories of it. I saw Titanic there, I've had dates there. It's one of the places Eric and i went on some of our 1st dates. And in one night, 1 man had almost managed to shatter all those memories and tarnish my city's name. 13 people lost their lives for reasons we may never know, and many more were injured. At the memorial, i was able to see the theatre, and memories came rushing back to me. And then i imagined my friend Adam's truck cruising down the street with me and Tiffany in the front, trying to make it to the mall and back before lunch was over. I watched as Eric and I turned into the street to see a movie. I watched as my car turned to take Rohan to the mall and play. I saw all of these things in the waves and waves of flowers and candles and stuffed animals, so out of place on the dirt. It was then that i decided, this man will not take away those memories and replace them with ones of sadness. I will grieve along with everyone, but i will also remember that love is stronger, and Aurora and all of it's residents still stand, we will not be broken by you. We will grieve, we will feel sadness, and then we will recover, and be stronger than we were.