It is Tuesday afternoon, and I am writing this blog post from the 34th floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am at the same hotel where less than 48 hours ago one man committed the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. The depravity and immensity of the killings are incomprehensible. Our hearts go out to the victims and those who were directly impacted, but at some level we all carry the trauma as our sense of safety and decency is shattered disrupting the normalcy of our life. How do we make sense of human depravity? How do we come to terms with the fact that something is terribly wrong with our culture festering with unhappy souls and mass murderers? How can we trust that humanity and goodness will prevail?
Carolyn Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas, put it eloquently in her statement: "The act and insanity of a madman shall not define us or keep us from living whole and meaningful lives with pride in our shared humanity.” The only way forward is to not let evil defeat us. There is comfort in returning to “normal” – to routine, schedules, and structure. When talking to my clients who live and work in Las Vegas about cancelling my trip this week and rescheduling the meetings, their message was unequivocal repeatedly saying how important it is to conduct business as usual. But while the mind knows, the heart is grieving. There is no way to make sense of the senseless. But there is a way to keep going taking one scared step at a time. And so, I packed my bags and hit the road this morning. The plane from SFO to McCarran Airport was completely full. But the mood was somber. Upon arrival, it definitely feels like a dark cloud is hanging over the city. Everything seems muted and people look sad and deflated. It’s the strange reality of moving on, of trying to maintain business-as-usual. It is too soon for things to get back to normal, but everyone is making a great effort to do so.
As I am winding down from my work day, I recognize that I made the right decision to be here, to focus on the good I can do in the world and to keep living a meaningful life. Those are the things that actually make sense. We may not be able to stop bad things from happening around us, but we can live by our values and be a positive force within our communities. When the dark side of humanity rears its ugly head, we can take action to build a better world. As a long-distance hiker, I know how important it is to keep focused on the mission at hand and the path beyond the road block, the future beyond the immediate crisis. If we remain true to our core values, we will prevail.
I’ve been asked numerous times today to share my thoughts on moving forward. Here are my 3 tips on how to cope with the overwhelming tragedy of the Las Vegas shootings:
Maintain the structure of your normal routine of work and activities
Maintain personal contact. Reach out to family, friends, and your community.
Maintain goodness. Find a way to help.
I am an avid reader who often turns to literature for answers, so I also found the following LA Times article listing 9 books about mass shootings helpful.
While still trying to process the events of Sunday night and maintain business-as-usual work ethic, my heart goes out to all those affected by the atrocious act of violence.
In the wake of so much suffering, may our collective grief be a force of change, healing and peace.
