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Taking a break from art and writing until January of 2013. I am sorry my fellow friends, but the energy and drive simply are not there; let me share with you.

For many of you, you may have heard on the news about a week ago about a shooting at "an Oregon mall in Portland." That mall, the Clackamas Town Center, happens to be the place of my employment. While I was fortunate to have had the day off at the Spencers Gifts where I work, it does not make it easy to deal with. I have worked many jobs at this mall off and on over the past decade; I knew many of the mall security, mall maintenance staff, mall vendors and regular customers by name. Many of my friends visit this mall; one of them was trapped in the lockdown and attempted to assist one of the victims. It could have been people I knew. It could have been worse. I very well could have been there, either Christmas shopping or at work. This place is a second home to me, so many memories and friends. While not the praying kind, I do have to wish those involved the very best wishes; for them it was so much worse.

The day of reopening, I was barraged with stories I would rather not hear - from co-workers and vendor-friends alike. The thing is surreal; it was far to close to home. I am an avid watcher of the news and I could not stand to see the coverage on powerhouse cable networks like CNN and Fox. Then, after returning home I learned of another massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School back East in Connecticut.

To say the least my jolly is damn near gone. Each day I return to the Clackamas Town Center and carry on as we all must. Memorials and vigils; these things are hard to see each day. That first day I returned to work I cannot explain how it felt to enter a place that you know so well and feel so violated. Shoppers who braved the reopen were quiet and hastily completed their business. Have you ever seen a busy mall that was quiet? Even the mall Santa came back, but he is a different fellow than the one I saw each day across from my store. It's just surreal. Police comb the mall as either undercover or visible. Security details are more visible than they have ever been. It just feels...not what should be.

Understandably, friends, I apologize for the lack of my writing/art productivity. Digesting this has been difficult, and I wasn't even there. For my co-workers and friends who were, this task of coping is so much harder. My heart goes out to them. I simply have no drive to put my skills to task until the new year. Forgive me, but I promise I shall return to my normal awesomeness when I manage to set this matter behind me.

*Photos in collage are not mine - taken by staff at the CTC and uploaded to the Facebook CTC memorial page found here:

[link]

Description
Taking a break from art and writing until January of 2013. I am sorry my fellow friends, but the energy and drive simply are not there; let me share with you.

For many of you, you may have heard on the news about a week ago about a shooting at "an Oregon mall in Portland." That mall, the Clackamas Town Center, happens to be the place of my employment. While I was fortunate to have had the day off at the Spencers Gifts where I work, it does not make it easy to deal with. I have worked many jobs at this mall off and on over the past decade; I knew many of the mall security, mall maintenance staff, mall vendors and regular customers by name. Many of my friends visit this mall; one of them was trapped in the lockdown and attempted to assist one of the victims. It could have been people I knew. It could have been worse. I very well could have been there, either Christmas shopping or at work. This place is a second home to me, so many memories and friends. While not the praying kind, I do have to wish those involved the very best wishes; for them it was so much worse.

The day of reopening, I was barraged with stories I would rather not hear - from co-workers and vendor-friends alike. The thing is surreal; it was far to close to home. I am an avid watcher of the news and I could not stand to see the coverage on powerhouse cable networks like CNN and Fox. Then, after returning home I learned of another massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School back East in Connecticut.

To say the least my jolly is damn near gone. Each day I return to the Clackamas Town Center and carry on as we all must. Memorials and vigils; these things are hard to see each day. That first day I returned to work I cannot explain how it felt to enter a place that you know so well and feel so violated. Shoppers who braved the reopen were quiet and hastily completed their business. Have you ever seen a busy mall that was quiet? Even the mall Santa came back, but he is a different fellow than the one I saw each day across from my store. It's just surreal. Police comb the mall as either undercover or visible. Security details are more visible than they have ever been. It just feels...not what should be.

Understandably, friends, I apologize for the lack of my writing/art productivity. Digesting this has been difficult, and I wasn't even there. For my co-workers and friends who were, this task of coping is so much harder. My heart goes out to them. I simply have no drive to put my skills to task until the new year. Forgive me, but I promise I shall return to my normal awesomeness when I manage to set this matter behind me.

*Photos in collage are not mine - taken by staff at the CTC and uploaded to the Facebook CTC memorial page found here:

[link]