I had recently heard rumblings of increased crime in the U. City Loop. A teenager was shot during an argument back in August. A store that stocks very expensive jeans had recently been held up. It worried & angered me, but I didn't really think that much. I've been having plenty of anxiety over who we're about to elect as our new president, trying to get a web site off the ground in a bad economy, hearing about health problems of various friends, etc.

Friday night, my husband and I went to our beloved Tivoli Theater in the Loop to see "Rachel Getting Married." We left the theater at about 9:30, walked back to our car, & hit our favorite Mexican restaurant before going home.

Last night (Saturday night) we went to have dinner with some friends in front of a St. Louis institution, Blueberry Hill. Our friend mentioned there had been a police officer shot & killed Friday night in the Loop. We talked about it & then went back to discussing various things, particularly politics, as the husband of this couple & I are both political junkies. Then we went home.

I woke up this morning & turned on the Today Show. They broke for a local news update. I actually listened for once as I wanted to know more about the murder of the police officer.

It turns out he was a friend of mine. His name was Mike King. I hadn't seen him for years, I just hadn't run into him. I first met him around 10 years ago when I was the neighborhood liaison to the police department for updating the neighborhood on crime in our area. I think he also may have helped me out when we had major problems with some neighbors that finally moved away.

Mike was a great guy. He was really sweet & friendly. He didn't have that hard outer exterior that many cops (understandably) have.

Mike was murdered Friday night for no reason at all. He was sitting in his police car right in front of Starbucks, right where we had walked 30 minutes prior to get back to our car. We may have even walked past his patrol car & not even noticed him because there is always a police car parked in that spot.

The scum who killed him was a convicted drug dealer, apparently well-known by the police department. He just walked up to Mike's car & shot & killed him. They're still looking for the bastard as of this writing.

I can't even begin to express the sadness & anger I am feeling right now. For Mike's wife, for Mike's family & friends, for the U. City Police Department, for my community, for myself. Mike was only 50.

The Loop is where I go to relax and feel grounded. When I need to get myself away from work (since I work at home) I go to the library where I first learned how to read at the triangle table. I used to get my new shoes at the beginning of each school year at Lasky's, which was a mainstay of the area for years. The guys at the produce market know they can expect to see me almost every week. I've been going to the Tivoli theater since I can't even remember. Back when the floors were perpetually sticky, the a/c & heating were undependable, & I watched double features of almost every cult classic that was made in the early 80's.

This is where I most feel like me. Where I go when I feel lost & need to find my footing. This is where I go, above all, to feel safe.

And now thugs have taken over my neighborhood.

UPDATE-NOV. 4-
I just saw that they've caught Mike's killer. Thank God. A small amount of justice on the day of Mike's funeral should give everyone a small amount of peace.