Thirteen. Thurston. Kinkel.

Today is the anniversary of the Thurston shooting. Thirteen years since my small hometown joined the exclusive club of having a school shooting. I don't know why I've thought about it this year more than others, but as I looked at the date this morning, memories of that day came rushing back to me. It's one of those events in my life that made an impact on me and it's sometimes weird to think that most of the people I know now have no idea. So, while I try to keep my blog pretty positive, I also try to keep it real. I am not one of those Mormon Mommy bloggers with pictures of her Gap model kids and Pottery Barn home. Rather, I dare to show you pictures of my absolutely disgusting couch before I fixed the vacuum cleaner and cleaned it out. And with that in mind, I'm going to write some of my random thoughts and memories regarding the Thurston Shooting because someday, when I finally turn my blog into a book, I want it as part of my history. I'm not going to include any pictures because, frankly, I've seen enough of them and don't need a reminder. If you want to see some images, just google "Thurston Shooting".

* My main tie to the Thurston Shooting was through my Spanish 1 teacher, Senora Kinkel. Kip Kinkel's mom. He shot and killed her the night before.
* The day she died, I was most likely the last student she ever talked to. I was a sophomore and Spanish 2 was not going to fit into my schedule the next year. She was going to let me skip ahead to her Spanish 3 class, but lower the standards for me for a while until I caught up. She thought I would be able to handle it, but she was running late for a baby shower or something and we agreed to talk the next morning before school started.
* I waited for her all morning the next day - going back to check and see if the light was on in her classroom, yet. I even remember being a little ticked that she didn't show. Little did I know...
* News on the intercom of the Thurston Shooting was shocking but surreal. I didn't know any of the people they named that had been involved. I don't remember if Kip Kinkel's name was mentioned at all. If it was, it didn't click.
* I had been helping with arena scheduling for the next year, but once we got news about the shooting, it was canceled and we were dismissed back to classes. It was 2nd or 3rd period and I had government. An announcement came over the intercom saying that one of the teachers from Springfield High had been killed. I remember thinking it was a very slim chance I even knew the teacher because I was only a sophomore and had many of the same teachers that I had my freshman year. I cried as soon as I heard her name and another teacher escorted me and some other kids to another room. I went home early that day. There was no point in staying, our school had basically shut down. Everyone was in shock.
* My Spanish class for the rest of the year is a blur. It was only a couple weeks before school got out and I don't remember learning anything. She died just before we learned to conjugate verbs. I did not take Spanish my junior year and was one of the few seniors in Spanish 2 the next year. I struggled in the beginning because no one in that class had had the same year-long break that I did.
* Senora Kinkel was one of my favorite teachers. At the beginning of the year we all picked out a new Spanish name to go by and mine was Julia (pronounced "who-lee-uh"). Usually my friend "Ceceila" and I were always done with our work early and we would start to talk when it was supposed to be quiet - from across the room I would hear, "WHOOOOOOO-LEE-UHHH!!" ("JULIA!!"). That always shut me up.
* There was a school-wide memorial service for Senora Kinkel and I cried a lot that morning. I hadn't experienced much death in my life (and still haven't) and I had a rough time with it. I had an orthodontist appointment to go to, but was a little late. I got a lecture from the orthodontist assistant and I remember having one of those "you don't know anything about me!" teenage moments internally. I don't think I said anything but I was so ticked at her for just assuming I had no real reason for being late.
* My 16th birthday was 3 days after the shooting. Sweet sixteen. Two of my friends' birthdays were the day of the shooting. I can't imagine.
* When Kip Kinkel left the house the morning of, the soundtrack to the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo & Juliet was blaring. I had not seen that movie and still have no desire to see that movie.
* Years later, when I was taking a Forensics class for my criminal justice degree, the teachers used the Kinkel case as a local, real-life example of whatever we were working on - I think it may have been blood spattering. I saw far more graphic pictures of his parents' murders than were ever shown on TV or in the paper and learned some specific details I had not known. That kid was messed up. I was the only one in the class that had any sort of tie to the case. It made me sick and still churns my stomach if I let myself think about it.

You can read more about it here and here.