How a Cheap Camera Made All the Difference

As the saying goes, a person never knows when it can happen.    It's with horror that I read of the attacks on innocent people by fanatics as they were  trying to enjoy a brief reprieve from their working lives.  Likewise, the school shootings that have become almost a once a year fixture for some kid who fell through the cracks.  Of course, last week  the horror struck  a church.  Yet again, that was done by a person who needed to blame his short-comings on others.
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Years ago, it was blind luck that prevented me from being on site when we had one of our first mass shootings.  I've written several times of my love of Quebec and how I've visited often.    I stood on deck as we reentered the country and I took a French immersion course at another time.  I've visited for pleasure and never tire of it. 
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As I was a student, my preferred lodging of choice was the YWCA, which was a bit out of  the actual Old Town itself.  The usual attractions were targeted, one of them being the Legislative Assembly.  The tour was conducted by a very affable man, who wasn't all that tall, but was very jovial and seemed nice.  The day was then spent watching the elected officials debate the matters at hand.  There was a restaurant, but I wasn't suitably dressed for it and decided I would come back another day.   I also wanted to take some photos of the exterior of the building, as it has a number of statutes.
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On the day I had meant to take said pictures and to go to the restaurant  I woke up to discover that it was cloudy and very wet.  I owned a cheap kiddy camera and it would be a pointless endeavour.  Instead, it was decided to fill the day with the Place Laurier http://www.laurierquebec.com/, an immense shopping complex that was indoors.  It was May and this day was particularly nasty, so being inside  was a better option.  As I walked around I suddenly noted that there were large groups of people standing at   the televsion stores and some of them were weeping.  This was before electronics stores had all gone out of business and when such shootings still caused general concern.
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What transpired was a man who had been in the military had gone on a shooting spree. .  One of the places he shot was the cafeteria.  In total, he killed three people and injured thirteen.    I kept hoping that the man who had given the tour was safe, as he was real to me.  I saw the heavy pall cast on the city and the profound sense of grief the citizen's felt.
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I realized at that moment how something insignificant, like a cheap camera and bad weather can change your fate.  I've since gone on to realize how quickly things can escalate.  We hide behind reassuring platitudes to get us through the day, such as "it can't happen here."  But, as we are unfortunately coming to learn, of course it can, especially when you get a group of those kids who need somebody to blame in one place.   Then it's a Lord of the Flies free -for - all.