An eerie realization

In the midst of watching nearly continuous television coverage of Friday's massacre at a Connecticut elementary school, I had an eerie realization.

It occurred to me that on that fateful morning, at almost the same time the horrific tragedy was unfolding on the other end of the country, when police and emergency responders were arriving on the scene, I was busy photographing kindergarteners and first-graders having the time of their life, sliding down a man-made pile of snow at one of Yuma's elementary schools.

Yes, kindergarteners and first-graders, much the same age as the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School. But here, instead of cries of terror and pain, there were shrieks of excitement, laughter and giggles.

I have found myself wanting to relive that 30 or 40 minutes I spent at the school, not to take more photos, but to simply sit and watch those children at play and forever burn their smiles into my memory.