There's no substitute

I've been attending Art Center College of Design for the past year. It's kept me too busy to do many things, let along post regularly. But it's nice to be busy doing things I love, like write, draw, and design. One of the classes that kept me excessively occupied, but in a way that I loved was Norm Schureman's Visual Communications 4 class. I wore enrollment like a badge of honor and bragged to people that I, a film student, had deigned to take such a rigorous and notoriously tough class.

I hadn't finished my homework for my class, which was scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:30. I was planning a late night to finish it. Because I absolutely would not consider walking into Norm's class without my homework.

I just learned that Norm won't be there. Someone shot him this weekend. And he won't be there to grade my homework or tell me how much I'm improving. More importantly, he won't be there to teach his children and tell them how much they're improving. He won't be there to help his wife raise them. Because someone shot him. Not a stranger who wanted his wallet. But a neighbor at a party. A neighbor with a history of making violent threats to party guests at previous parties. A neighbor who was tolerated in his community and humored for his bad temper.

It's just so unbelievable that we can lose a person for so little. It's not a fair trade. That guy may spend years in prison, but we don't get Norm back. Maybe Norm won't be in class tomorrow. But I'm still going to finish my homework. Because that's where he is for me.

I wish people weren't so polite that they tolerated bad behavior in the people around them. Because no matter how much you humor them or walk on eggshells they will lash out eventually. Because it's not about what you do, it's about them. And it's not worth it. Abusive people are dangerous to everybody.