----------+


ObNote of Reference: On Thursday, January 26th, 1995, a man named Wendell Williamson decided that his life was expendable, and that others around him were valueless as well. He began a "march" up Henderson Street, a side-street off of the main drag of Franklin Street, during the noontime rush hour. Two people were killed, one policewoman was wounded, and many students were shocked and scared.

I was croutching behind trees in the quad area.

This is how violence touched my life, if only briefly.


From kelly@president Fri Jan 27 01:21:21 1995
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 19:54:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Kelly Jo Garner
Subject: Re: News Bulletin

News flash.

News indeed.

So I went to Linda's today, happy at having a check for $1400 in my hand and needing to read a book for French. I had an hour before my next class.

Linda's is not traditionally known for its speedy service, and so I waited until about 1:30 before I got my food. After I ate, even tbough I was full as hell, I thought it would be nice to have a cup of coffee and a 911 Bar ("death by chocolate", as someone put it) from Caffetrio next door.

"Hey!" said Candi Harris, a fellow Fellow, who stood next to me in line. "You going to class?"

"Of course," I grinned. It was - is - well known that I don't go to class very often. Maybe, now, class is safer. (Although after the incident at SUNY-Albany where three students had to tackle a gunman who held them hostage, who knows where is safe.) We got our coffee: me a tall latte to go and she a small vanilla latte to go. Someone else we knew came up and said hello, and as we walked out the door, there was a loud *BANG!* Looking about, I could have sworn it was backfire - there were several trucks around, and it's not uncommon to have one backfire - . Candi, however, leapt to another conclusion.

"Oh my god. Get across the street. Go!" she ordered. I walked quickly across the street, not knowing what was going on and not wanting to believe it was gunfire, not in Chapel Hill, not in my beloved town.

So today, in my mind, is the day that people were shot and killed, and the day my check from Teaching fELLOWS *finally* came in. What a paradox. The checks were cashed... well, nevermind.

Anyone who feels like getting drunk over this or sipping coffee (*not* at Trio's, thanks) call me tonight. Or spawn email at me. I don't care. I'm just a little weird over the whole thing, but not so much that I am flipping. *flip*

And please, no jokes (unless they're made by me, of course. ;) )

Love,
kel

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 		 "Never throw out the other person's head."  
	            - original text from TOUNGE OF FROG
        a href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/kelly/">World of Wonder


kelly_garner@unc.edu


back to Prose pAge.