No One Expects It

“They look like what you aren’t expecting. What you aren’t paying attention to,” (Gaiman).

This quote stands out to me for the worst reason of all.

Disclaimer: If you are in any way upset by the topic of gun violence, please do not read this.

Recently, I was watching safety videos on YouTube, things colleges had made in the event of an active shooter. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and, in this time, these events are something that every student and educator is at risk of experiencing. I recall that I originally started watching them because, this one video was in a “most moving videos of the decade” compilation that I had just clicked on, not thinking about what I would experience.

One of the videos was made by a company called Sandy Hook Promise. If you don’t know recognize those words, I don’t know if you’re blessed or ignorant. I don’t know which would be better; knowing or not what the significance of the name Sandy Hook has. The video is here, but please do not watch it if you are easily disturbed by gun violence. I know I said this in the disclaimer, but please, do not watch if this will hurt you. If you decide to watch it, continue reading past the italics. If you can’t here is a quick summary:

Within the video, you as the viewer are following this redheaded boy and his end of the year story. He writes on a desk, starting this correspondence with someone he never meets. You watch as he looks at all these faces, wondering which is the one writing back to him. Finally, he is signing a year book, and a girl recognizes his penmanship, and they finally meet. But, before they can even introduce themselves, the gym door bursts open and a student with a weapon comes in. The video stops, and the produces let you know that, while viewers were watching the boy, there was someone in the background displaying disturbing behavior that could indicate he was planning to harm others.

They are “what you are not paying attention to.” The people you overlook in favor of the interesting story… How many kids fell so far down into their own self-destructive spiral that they became the monster people loathe to speak of?

No one noticed this seemingly normal man, until he became the monster who stole twenty-seven lives, and then, his own. No one paid attention to his declining mental state, self-isolation, and fascination with weapons. They let it go, moved on. And in their avoidance, a man became a monster, and no one knew until it too late.