Last week, as a man was stepping off a New York subway car after, I was stepping on a subway car a few miles away.

Oblivious to the chaos and terror happening nearby, I settled into my seat, put in my earbuds and queued up an audio book. I was riding from my 27-year-old sonsa国际传媒檚 Brooklyn apartment to Union Square, where he would head to a medical facility for a daily round of radiation as he fights lymphoma.

My plans were more pleasant sa国际传媒� visit a bakery for rugelach and a cup of tea and then leisurely browse through Barnes and Noblessa国际传媒� flagship Union Square store.

About the time I made it to the third floor of the store, my phone began to buzz as texts from family members began to pour in.

sa国际传媒淵ou guys good?sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淒id you take an Uber today?sa国际传媒�

Odd, I thought, but considering my son is undergoing cancer treatments, not crazy.

I responded with, sa国际传媒淲e are good.sa国际传媒�

Finally my dad says, sa国际传媒淵ou are aware of the people shot on the subway and some sort of explosive devices found?sa国际传媒�

My response was a simple, sa国际传媒淣ope.sa国际传媒� I was still oblivious.

Focused on the trials in my own world and looking forward to the pleasant diversion of good food and an hour in a book store, I had no idea that but for the gunmansa国际传媒檚 choice of a different subway train, the last hour of my lifesa国际传媒� and maybe my entire future sa国际传媒� could have been altered drastically.

When I exited the bookstore, the landscape had changed.

There was now a visible police presence as the manhunt was on for the gunman who was responsible for shooting 10 people and the injuries of at least another dozen people. On the subway ride home, people were more alert, looking for anything that appeared suspicious.

Itsa国际传媒檚 easy to get focused on what is happening in our own lives, in the here and now, and remain oblivious to the suffering and tragedies surrounding us.

Sometimes life hands us something to shake us up a bit sa国际传媒� a close call, a health scare, a near tragedy, a war on another shore.

As we are thankful that we have escaped whatever that earthquake was, let it be a reminder that others were not so fortunate, a prompting to resist retreating into an oblivious state and a prod to look for ways to make a difference in the world.

READ MORE:

betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
Like us on and follow us on