At The Velvet Rocket we are often struck by the transient nature of life. How, sooner or later, everything you care about will be taken away from you. By how quickly an ordinary day can turn into an extraordinary one…
Under no circumstances is this driven home more starkly than when such an event touches us personally.
From the New York Times:
Crime May 11, 2012, 3:14 PM
BREAKING: Man Shot Near Cuyler Gore Park
By GERSH KUNTZMAN, Local Editor
A 62-year-old man was shot and seriously wounded last night after trying to protect his daughter from a chain snatcher near Cuyler Gore Park.
Police said that the man, who is from out of town, was walking with his daughter near the corner of Cumberland Street and Greene Avenue at around 10:38 p.m. when a 20- to 30-year-old man approached from behind and grabbed the daughter’s jewelry.
The father quickly grabbed the thief, who pulled a gun and shot the man once in the stomach. The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital and is not expected to die.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crimestoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
The original article can be found here.
On this occasion, the shooter made a very unwise choice when selecting his targets and picked the wrong Italians to fuck with. And even if one merely adopts the selfish perspective of his own desire for self-preservation, I believe he will come to deeply regret his actions.
Nevertheless, his actions serve as a dramatic reminder of the old French expression, “Tout passé, tout cassé, tout lassé“… Everything goes away. Everything breaks down. Nothing is born that does not die. Nothing begins that does not end. There is no morning without an evening, and no silver lining without a cloud. Empires come. Empires go.
It is not a gloomy outlook; it’s just the way things work.
And it is a lesson we would all do well not to forget…
The Velvet Rocket 
I have no words, but I hope all is well.
My dear Ames, I’m with you and Ele. All time.
I hope all will be well.
thanks, no sugar coating, direct and true. i can count on uou for such clarity.
Always savor your JOURNEY…Utilize a roadmap and ask for directions when you can, Endure the valley’s, enjoy all the peaks! Preditory victim by chance or cancer of a colon… Nature is nnot very forgiving and life is to cherrishedeveryday until you can not push on any longer.
When life gives you lemons ask for salt and tequila.
Shit happens. The good thins is that we can still talk about it. Thank you for posting this article.