Homestretch, Batman & Martial Law

I'm {sadly} neither shocked or surprised about the movie theater shooting in Colorado. We are raising a nation of disaffected, desensitized, youth with few options in a crazy, chaotic violence-obsessed society with easy access to {mail order?} weapons. And not just guns, over the top guns, insane guns, assault weapons that can shoot god knows how many people at once. Mental illness is rampant and treatment access is difficult and likely unaffordable for those who need it most.

What shocks me, and maybe it shouldn't because someone has to grow up to be the next psychopath is the number of babies and small children I'm hearing about being at this movie. Batman is loud and dark and grim and uber violent, can you imagine what that environment would do to tender, fledgling baby ears? A movie like that would traumatize any normal toddler or young child, and fan the flames of ones that really shouldn't be there, I think PG-13 is even a bit liberal. A midnight show no less. I'm just appalled that people do this, I just can't comprehend, it doesn't compute. One time I went to see an adult-themed movie with Meryl Streep as a psychiatrist who's patient takes up with her son, can't remember the name. There was graphic conversation throughout, lot's of "vagina", "fucking" a menagerie of words and visuals that were inappropriate and likely quite uncomfortable for the several kids under 10 present. I was just as uncomfortable watching in front of them. I just don't understand people's judgement, so conservative and judgmental on so many issues, and yet so free and easy with the violence, so damned protective of it. Our culture is a mystery to me.

I had my last Taxol + Carboplatin today, hooray. Carbo is the one that's really been giving me trouble and I'm now done with that at least. Two more weeks of Taxol, then a minor surgery to remove my port.  Thrilled about that because I never made peace with the port, I've hated it every single day since it went in last November. I'm really getting excited about my last day of chemo, {homestretch, homestretch} and really, I don't think my body can take much more... four blood transfusions in three months, these shots every day, the dysfunctional brain getting worse by the minute. Yesterday, I had to drive about an hour home from somewhere and I was so tired I had to use cruise control for the first time ever, because I literally couldn't keep pushing on the gas pedal, that is fatigue!

I'm happy also to report that there is peace in my kingdom. There is reading on the couch, conversation, siblings interacting at least a little, laughter and quiet... occasional beautiful quiet. Let's hear it for martial law and the proverbial last straw.