It Could Have Happened To Me + September #WriteMotivation Update 2

Have you ever left your house 5 minutes late and pass a very bad car accident on your way to where ever, and realize that had you been on time, that could have been you?

Have you ever got what you needed off a shelf at a grocery store and moments later someone comes up behind you reaching for the same thing only to have everything topple over on him and realize that could have been you?

I’ve had so many of these kinds of situations and it always left me thinking that there may very well be a guardian angel. TheHubs says everything happens for a reason. But still…sometimes you just never know why you missed it by “____” that much.

Yesterday’s events at Washington Navy Yard are no exception. We found out that the shooter worked as a sub-contractor for us, working on a particular project that travels the country. He could very well have been here yesterday. Luckily for me, that team was not. It is so sad that it had to happen. There really was no way we could have stopped this, except had we dealt with his history before it got this far. From what I am reading, what’s been released, and what’s known, he had a security clearance, which allowed him to be on the base and have a badge to get into the building. However, he had previously had behavioral issues while in the Navy. He had anger issues and had arrest records in which he was charged with discharging a weapon.

So, there’s a definite issue with our security process. Having gone through the security clearance process on many occasions, I know that they ask a lot of questions regarding a lot of things. I’ve had friends, local and distant, tell me that they had an investigator come ask questions regarding me. I’ve had to sign waivers for these investigators to contact my doctors, even. So I know that there is definitely in-depth investigations done. However, my concern now lies in the budget allotted for these types of investigations. With the budget cuts and sequestration, how much  had to be cut out of their investigations in order to get someone’s clearance processed?  I’m not the only one wondering, either. Apparently, after this incident, the Navy will be doing an internal security audit and are expecting a major security flaw with people cutting corners.

There’s a certain level of expectation when you work in a secured facility. But now, that’s not even safe anymore. We all must be diligent in looking for the signs and clues that something’s just not right, especially with those people who come and go, aren’t here all the time. This guy could very well have been one of the ones who sat opposite me on the other side of the cube wall. I don’t know. Most came in at night, so I didn’t see everyone. They were just here 2 weeks ago. So, this could very well had happened here, in my office, to me and my co-workers.

My heart goes out to everyone at Washington Navy Yard, especially to those families who lost someone. I hope this is a wake up call for anyone dealing with security. DON’T TAKE SHORT CUTS!!!

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Now, onto September’s #WriteMotivation Goals

1) Be Positive, Try to find the positive in every situation, no matter how small. This has got to be ALWAYS!! Recovering, but still tired. I think I’m doing well emotionally, despite the fact that TheHubs is going through some rough bits lately in the pain/insomnia department.
2) Cheer others on with #writemotivation cookie flinging and positive thoughts! Another ALWAYS! Managing, occasionally, I’m sorry. But, then again, I haven’t seen much activity on Twitter lately, and no one’s really seen me either. So….
3) Continue writing SOMETHING, EVERYDAY! Even if I can’t work on my novel, I’ll try my hand at short stories. Whatever it is, it has to be writing! DEFINITELY ALWAYS!  I started a new shiny. I like how it’s going so far. I’ve been researching lingo and such. And I’ve been thinking about this one continuously. I’m not sure if this is a short story or a novel. I guess I will write until I know. 🙂  Luckily, I’ve managed to write about it, even if it’s not writing the story, I’m fleshing it out, trying to figure out “what if this happened?” and things like that. Playing with it in my head or on scratch paper. That’s what I’ve been doing nearly every day. Though, the day job and my obsession with Breaking Bad has cut into things 🙂
4) Read another book. Yup, still on a Breaking Bad kick. So, reading has been put on hold, though I have a blog tour/review I have to do for TWO next month, so I better get on the ball for it.
5) Continue submitting my short stories, “O.N.” and “S.S.”  Let’s see how many I can get before someone accepts me.  5 rejections for O.N. Waiting to hear back and 5 for S.S. Sent SS out, yet again, to a contest this time, which I won’t hear back until December.

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PS: Theo just got back from his Vet. He’s sooooo much better now! The vet wants another round of this antibiotic, which means another 10 days of jamming a pill down his throat and then giving him some soft foods for treats and hope he forgives us. He’s been such a trooper! The best news, he’s healing very well and NO MORE CONE!!! Next up, 6 month check up!