On Valentines Day,
in a house less than one block down our street,
a woman was shot in the head.
I had been working out of town and hadn't heard the news.
When I tried to drive down our one-way street,
it was blocked off and yellow caution tape stretched
from the house on one side of the street to the trees on the other.
Police cars and TV station vehicles were there.
There is a manhunt on for the shooter who fled the scene.
I was trying to get to my house.
I needed to run in quickly and turn up the heat, turn the lights on
and take the animals with me because the house
was going to be shown at 4:00 pm.
I finally got a chance to check the news
and found out what had happened.
I was feeling so many things.
Sick, dizzy, scared, confused.
They had locked down the nearby schools.
It hadn't processed it all, before I got a call from my Realtor.
The showing was cancelled.
The buyers were no longer interested
because of what happened in the neighborhood.
Then the second wave hit me.
This wasn't going to be over in a few days.
This was here to stay for a very long time.
As long as it takes for people to forget.
And people don't easily forget.
I live in the older part of town and it has always had it's stigma.
This will just confirm it.
This type of thing doesn't happen in small town Nebraska.
It just doesn't. I have lived in other states and in big cities,
and I know how it is to drive down a nearby street
and see chalk marks of a body on the pavement
and police cars in the area and never even hear
what happened, and not even be shaken.
Not here.
A few years before we moved here,
there was a robbery at a bank.
Something went wrong during the robbery
and 4 or 5 people were shot and killed.
The town tore the bank down
and put a memorial in it's place.
The memorial is diligently tended to all year 'round.
Three years I have wanted to sell this house.
Two years before I have to sell this house.
(The acreage has nothing to do with it)
Three years ago I realized I would never make a dime on the house.
Two years ago I realized I would have to go into debt to sell it.
One year ago I gave up all hope,
but still continued to clean and show
and clean and show and clean and show.
Today?
Well, today....
I don't know what to think or do now.
I don't know the woman who was shot.
I heard on the radio this morning she is in critical condition.
.
31 comments:
Oh Michaele...how scary and sad and tragic...I'm so sorry, sorry for the womon who was shot and for the long-ranging impacts...Keep breathing.
Small town Nebraska. Geez! Very sad, very tragic, very demoralizing..the whole situation. Have you looked into selling your house on a short sale? If you're not going to make any $ on it anyway..there is a short sale program going on right now with the govt. Talk to your realtor..if they're not short sale savvy, look for one that is..or a local atty. who has brushed up on these new programs. If you're aggressive with the bank, you should come out not owing anything..or at the most a nominal amount. I'm not any expert, but was in the Mortgage business for many years..and my daughter is in the middle of a short sale negotiation right now. With the help of her realtor and an atty. They'll be out about $5K in the end..but that's a real deal, as property values here are down more than 60%..
Michaele, I agree with everything Ashling said. Please keep breathing.
I live in a very, very small town that I would actually classify as a village. We have such little crime here that when I read about it in the newspaper I am always surprised. A few years ago a local man was shot and killed in his home two blocks away from my home. It was tragic. I wanted to share all that with you to say, house sales in town did not go down. People realized this was not an everyday occurrence and still wanted to live here. People will realize that about your house too. Please do not give up hope.
I'm praying for you.
Valerie
Don't give up hope. Keep working toward your dreams. And, yes, just. keep. breathing.
I am so very sorry. For you, for the lady, for small town America. Keep breathing and I'll be praying. A lot.
Oh, Michaele, that is horrible news. So scary. I'll be praying, too.
Double what Ashling said. Jeepers Michaele-how awful I thought-then remembered many yrs ago a mile from us my dear friend lives in their beautiful home-which was built on land where a man tried to shoot his wife-burned the house down-she escaped-he didn't. The violence does come to small town America-it's very sad-praying things will look up for you-the woman and America.
~~Rain
Shocking....sorry to hear this...thinking of you.
Marcia
i am terribly sorry. this is distressing enough, but the addtl stress it will put on you is very sad...
This is frightening! Is the house you live in now? I'm always picturing you in a farmhouse... Hopefully this wasn't a random act of violence - not that I wish for anyone to be targeted but I will feel you are safer if its not random. Make sense? Please be careful. Lock you doors. Keep the dogs with you...
How horrible....so sorry it affects selling the house. Prayers going up.
Oh no. I'm so sorry. I hope the right person comes along (an out of towner?) and scoops up your house.
Stuff like this happens everywhere. We're so rural here, but this past weekend a car chase veered off the main road and up over the gravel road mountain, which is so steep they abandoned the car and took off on foot through the woods. 'Neighbors' called around quickly to alert, and some of them went out shooting targets with guns. We stayed in and locked our doors until the suspects were apprehended. Bad people can venture everywhere.
Sayin a prayer for you. God will turn things around in his own time. Sad about the lady... I'll say a prayer for her too.
What a sad day! Thoughts and prayers are with you. Don't give up hope!
I'm so sorry to hear this, I truly hope something positive will come of this awful situation. Take care:@)
I would say what my mom always tells me. "Things happen for a reason." Stay strong and don't lose sight of your goals.
Oh, I am so sorry.
There are no words I can say that will help but I am here.
that is such a tradegy...it is hard...I hope it all works out for yall...
Wow...not sure what to say.
I do understand, growing up in the big city these things are common....sadly just another day in the life of big city living...now we live in a small rural community and these things happen far and few between, but when they do....no one forgets.
Things will happen for you.....the good Lord takes care of us, but on his time frame...not ours! Hang in there!
I am sorry for the woman shot and I am sorry for the loss of the sale of your house. Sandie
Oh my gosh! That is a horrible thing to happen and then the trickle down effect to others in the neighborhood like you. I don't know what it was about yesterday but I got a call that someone must have tried to kill my aunt and her husband by putting their house on fire! It was ruled arson already! Then they went back last night and set fire to it again! They lost everything the first round so I don't know why they went back a second time except to try to hide or burn evidence that they did it the first time! That second fire was ruled arson too! I don't know who would do such an act like that!
Wow. Kinda like your title, I'm not sure what to say. But how sad. Sad for the woman, her family and friends. And the impact such tragedies have on so many others, including you. Sending you a prayer that the person destined to buy your home makes her way to you soon:)
~Cindy
Ohmygosh, ohmygosh. I am so sorry to hear this, you have no idea. I am sorry for the woman who was shot, and I am so sorry for you.
This can happen ANYWHERE, and it does. People are people, and where they live doesn't change that fact. We have areas up here that are very remote, and things like that happen more often than anyone would think they would in a "quiet rural area" like this.
I don't know what your financial situation is, but I would ask you to please take a look at the short sale, as Sheila Garden Lady said. It can be a way out. The truth is, if you lower your price enough, people "forget" things like this much more easily. I have sold two houses in the past and have quite a bit of unwanted experience with selling houses in a market when "nothing" would sell.
Please take a deep breath. Go for a walk. You will get through this, you absolutely will.
Just awful .... breathe ... keep placing one foot in front of another ... and breathe
it seems like a lot of startling crimes are taking place in smaller towns lately. I'm so sorry for your town and neighborhood to have to go through this, and also for the ladies family. And I feel your pain and stress over the sale of the house. We have struggled for some time now with a house that wouldn't sell and basically a similar situation in that we would never be able to sell for what we owe. It's a sad day and age we live in. I sincerely hope that somethind works out soon for you and in your favor! In the mean time, and afterwards too, you've got lots of supporters and friends on here! Keep us posted so we can cheer you on!
Oh how terrible. The poor woman and her family. I am sorry that it affected the showing on your house. But keep your chin up girlfriend! It will all turn out OK. New people will move to town. As time passes memory of the incident will fade.
Oh my, I'm a day behind on blog reading so I didn't understand the comment you made in today's blog. What a bad thing to happen, to your neighbor, you, the neighborhood and the town. I think if the person who shot her did not do so randomly, then it may not really reflect on your neighborhood. Most things like this are family related. But this is a tough time for most homes to sell.
It really warmed my heart that they tore down the bank. Wow, I've never heard of that. I'm sure that was the right thing to do.
Oh this makes me so sad for the women and her family and for you who have very very difficult things to deal with and now this making it worse.
Take care and I hope things will work out for you. HUGs B
Oh, my. I just read. How tragic.I am not sure I understand the reasoning for things like that. I guess that's why they call it senseless. Take care of yourself.
So sorry to hear about the tragedy. Just catching up with you and I know how hard it is to absorb such an act. It happened here in our small town several years ago also, and hit very close to my home...it felt horrible. I didn't know the people well, but felt I could or may of been able to help somehow... Every time I drive by the spot coming home, I always think of the event and I feel bad for the family. I just don't understand things sometimes, and I hope you can find peace for yourself.
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