A Sad State

So I went to church today by myself because Matt is out of town at the convention.  I found myself choosing to sit in a pew that was relatively close to an exit door - you know just in case some crackpot decided to come in with guns blaring.  After church, I had to go to Walmart because I was out of cat food and there would have been a feline uprising if I came home empty-handed.  Before I went into the store, I sat in my car and made a list on my phone so I could get in and out without the usual aisle wandering, lest I find myself under attack in a public place.  It's a sad state to be in when your thinking isn't about your grocery list or the to-do items for the day, but rather, what would I do if I found myself in a situation with an active shooter.  At school, we have twice-yearly lockdown drills - just in case.  My mind will be on high alert for the next few days and then when things calm down I probably won't be looking for the closest exits every time a go out.  And in a few weeks or what now seems like hours another event will happen.  I used to be proud of this country but now I'm ashamed that we've allowed these things to happen.  I don't know what the solution is, but I think it is going to have to start at the polls.  Thoughts and prayers are not the solution.  It's not to say that I don't have the victims in my thoughts and prayers, but it's going to take something more.