They say that whenever tragedy strikes it causes us to become more reflective (for future readers, the tragedy in this case is the Aurora, CO Theater Shooting). I don’t know if that is always true, but since it occurred my thoughts have definitely been deeper.

It was truly horrible, and it doesn’t help my mind that my fiancé, sister, and her friend were all doing the exact same thing that night as the victims. My now overactive mind has decided to focus on various factors, that had they been different, might have led to a completely different life for many people, even me. I have to focus elsewhere.

If I were to examine my daily running about and try to determine what is important, I’d have to be completely honest and say that in many cases my technology has overtaken some things. I use my cell phone to monitor my calorie/nutrition intake, a healthful pursuit but admittedly, also partially an attempt at something that doesn’t really matter much: having a better appearance. I often distract myself playing mindless games that don’t accomplish much when I have things I really ought to be, and want to be, doing, such as designing my garden.

Also, there are the things technology enables me to do that I don’t appreciate enough. Just this past weekend it was an incredible hassle to get a car to visit friends in Flagstaff. And my phone isn’t only for mindless distractions: I happen to be playing a Boggle-like game with five different people in various cities, and a Pictionary-like game with three different people on our own time, and one of them lives in Ireland. Just thinking about how this is now possible is amazing and, now that I think about it, makes me feel more connected with all of them, as they say it does.

I now find it important to recognize and search for “the good stuff” – like visiting friends and staying up until much too late, having fun and laughing all the way. Like a semi-impromptu visit to the ever-beautiful Grand Canyon. Like coming home and going to a baseball game with more friends, having a beer and a hot dog as we cheer the home team.

It’s incredibly cliched, I know, but I hope to honor the victims by making the time necessary to do the things with my life that I want to do, and finding as much of “the good stuff” as I can. My heart goes out to all affected.