A couple of local kids were killed in a crash on 1-43 yesterday. Here’s the story:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=689485

Now, I obviously think of my own kids after reading about tragedies of this nature. T and I talked this morning about carefully choosing who is going to drive where, etc., and I know there is no guarantee my kids will live past college, etc. I’ve done the whole “hug them because you don’t know how long they’ll be here” thing today as well. I want to open this conversation a bit wider, though, to include how small towns respond to the death of its children.

Two of the boys involved in this crash were football players. In turn, I assume the crash will get additional press coverage and an extra layer of grief added into the mix. I do have to ask, though, what if these weren’t football players? Would the grief be as intense? Were these kids punk rockers, would a different sheen cover the crash? I think it would. There would be more subtle, implied blame placed on the kids unless there was no way in hell they could be help responsible (e.g. the kid who died earlier in the year when stopped at a stop sign).

I don’t want to go into details now, but this town doesn’t treat its off-center very well. Chicago didn’t, either, when I grew up, so perhaps this is a planetary concern. I want to think this through. More later.

Yesterday was decent. I was up early, before 3, and I worked out on the elliptical before anyone rose. After six T and I drove to Kohls and picked up some shirts. He was a good sport about the trip, sort of carried away in the black Friday excitement, and we had fun. After Kohl’s we hit Target. I bought a slew of DVDs and a couple DVD sets at insanely low prices. T and I were separated for about ten minutes, while he looked at toys, but after a couple minutes of somewhat frantic searching we found each other. I trust him. The rest of the day passed easily. I worked out again, read Jane Eyre, hit the coffee shop with T and S, and let the hours pass. I should have worked on the Italy journal. Oh, I also watched the first couple season one Office episodes.

Today I’m driving down to Chicago for the film on the history of punk rock. I’m still not sure of the exact plan, but besides the plan, I also want to hit the Taco and Burrito House on Central. I should burn a couple discs for the drive, too. Ok, more later.