Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Guardian Angel

As usual, people have been bothering me to update this thing. Fair point I guess since I haven't written here since April. Back then I was thrilled about spring. Now I'm cursing the rain. Katia, you're a cunt! Glad we got that out of the way. See how the weather effects my mood!

For those who're missing the frequent insights in my life I can assure you, you haven't missed much. Not that it has been boring or anything, I'm quite happy with my life, thank you, there just haven't been that many memorable stories to share.

Something that did happen during the summer though was the shootings at Utöya in Norway on the 22nd of July. Most people who read this blog come here expecting jovial interludes from the day to day life and to laugh at the fat guy and I will return to my regular programming just shortly, but I want to say something that's been itching on my mind since then. It's futile and most likely an empty gesture but I need to get this off my mind.

*climbs onto soapbox*

'To all you Breiviks out there that contemplate deeds like his: you stand alone. There is noone who backs your way of thinking. You do not have anyone that share your belief. You are never going to be thought of as a saviour. You are not a martyr. Noone will thank you. If you go thorough with your plans know that you will kill and possibly die, not for someone elses sake, but for your own delusions. I welcome you to my doorstep, knowing that any act of aggression that you take out on me will lessen the risk that several others will get hurt and increase the chance of you being put away for life.'

*climbs back down*

Right... yeah that was probably a month and a half late.

Last friday I had a bizarre experience. I was heading home from work sharing a bus with a colleague of mine. We got off and she was heading one way with the tram and I the other. I noticed my tram approaching the stop and could have run to make it, but I figured that I'd chill keep my colleague company for a while while she waited for her tram. It didn't take very long and we said our 'goodbye's and our 'have a nice weekend's. I waited maybe two or three minutes before my next tram came. I took it the three stops needed to get to my stop and stepped out in the cloudy friday afternoon. As I crossed the little square just between the pizza place and the shoe store I noticed five or six policemen talking to what seemed to be witnesses, overhearing the witness say 'He fired several shots... yeah definitely several.'

I figured that I probably shouldn't be getting in the way so I headed home, still curious though about what had happened. I went online and checked the webpage of the local newspaper and after about 15 minutes an article appeared on the front page. Apparently a drugged out person had been shooting just minutes before I passed there. Then I continued reading. He had gotten into a silvergrey car and sped off, crashing into a fence in the intersection of 'Opalgatan' and 'Grevegårdsvägen'
'HEY! That's like right outside my balcony.' As in I could probably throw a tennisball and hit the road signs in that intersection from my balcony. (given not too many attempts I hope) So I walk over and look out of the window and sure enough, there the silvergrey car is with police cars all around it. The perp probably had been shipped off already though as far as I could tell.

Then I began retracing a little and I realised that had I ran for the tram, I would have walked into a man, high as a kite, shooting wildly about himself. My colleague giggled when I explained to her that she saved my life. Not the most reassuring guardian angel, but hey... I'll take it.

Yesterday I did CPR-training and took a course in how to use a defibrillator. It's something that I recommend that you do if you ever get the opportunity to. It will hopefully never matter, but for the times that it does it will make a world of difference.

Hopefully it won't be as long until next time.