Daily Lesson from Life 10 August 2008

"American critical after fatal Beijing knife attack Stabbing attack killed her husband, who was father-in-law of the US men's volleyball coach. -Sun, Aug 10, 2008 AFP

BEIJING (AFP) - - The mother-in-law of the US men's volleyball coach remained critical on Sunday after a stabbing attack that left her husband dead, as the stunned team struggled to come to terms with the murder.

Head coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law, Todd Bachman, was killed on Saturday after being attacked by an unemployed Chinese man at Beijing's Drum Tower monument while sightseeing with his wife and daughter Elisabeth. Their daughter was not hurt, although police said the Chinese guide who was with them was injured. The attack has raised new fears about security at the Games.

The assailant, a 47-year-old man from eastern China, then jumped to his death off the second storey of the monument, police said in a statement, without giving details as to why he carried out the attack."

This is a very sad story indeed. The randomness and senselessness of it all rivalled that of the Chinese Canadian who stabbed and beheaded a 22-year old Canadian who just got back from volunteering work! Life is fickled and unpredictable sometime!

My condolensces to the family of the victims and hope that Mrs. Bachman will make it and recover from this brutal attack.

Lessons for me:

1. life is unpredictable. We must live each day to our fullest and bring good to others always;

2. when tragedy struck, hopefully we have done enough to say good bye to the world without any regrets. That we have done our best and given of our best and bring good to others somehow somewhat!;

3. it is pointless to debate on 'why them?' Life is bigger than us in such situations. Why should anyone who travelled thousands of miles to a foreign land, enjoying the place before suddenly being attacked an killed? Who can answer such difficult questions? When such randomness struck, we can only try to convince ourselves that it happened. Grieved about it. Cry about it. And then let go... Otherwise, there will not be able closure.

While the Olympic Game is taking place, the world did not stopped. e.g. Muslim terrorists attacked and killed a few more policemen in North West region of China! e.g. Russia attacked Georgia in an attempt to 'balance' the situation! etc...

Whatever it is, we have to be take what life threw at us - for the better or the worst. We will concentrate on doing our current job best!