as the dust settles

it was a sad day in minnesota yesterday. as many of us experienced, at the very least, a brief moment of panic worrying about loved ones. news rapidly spread that a bridge on 35W, just outside of downtown minneapolis, collapsed, falling 64 feet into the river. some of my friends had just been on that bridge, some of my friends were headed for that bridge. thank God, none of my friends were on that bridge.
In the aftermath of this tragic event the countless images, stories, re-counts, and facts leave me feeling more and more stunned and more and more sad. as the events unfold, i can only imagine i will learn of someone who will be at most twice-removed from my circle who was there. i mean it's minneapolis - it's right next door.
i have watched video of the bridge collapsing, captured by a parking lot security camera. every time i watch it, i can hardly believe how quickly the entire bridge, 1,907 feet, falls to the ground. without some major impact causing the collapse, i don't understand how the bridge just breaks and falls...as a whole. i guess the whole bridge must have been compromised in some manner, not just a section of it.
i wanted to do something to help...anything to help. i went to the local red cross over lunch to donate blood, but they were so overwhelmed with donors i had to head back to work. it makes my heart happy that so many people turned out to help (it makes me sad in my heart that such a tragedy proceeded those good intentions). i will be donating blood next week, when blood will be just as needed and hopefully the donor centers will be more manageably full of donors.
my thoughts, prayers, and sympathies go out to the victims, families, friends and the people of minnesota. i hope minnesota is never put on the national (or international) news for such a tragic reason, ever again. God bless.