Surreal is the only way I can describe it.

I opened my Toledo paper to the centerfold of the first section today and there were pictures of two "Shrines." On the right page, were pictures of the crosses, candles, and flowers for the victims in Colorado. On the left, well there was another shrine, a picture of the flowers, candles, etc, that had been left where Paterno's statue was removed yesterday. Two shrines, so far removed in geographic miles, and in societal importance, yet there they were, probably touching when the paper was closed. I am sure those touched by the Colorado tragedy might be offended that their grief was given equal billing with the removal of a statue, and equal lead-in on tonight's evening news. Well they would be right.

I thought some more today about the irony of what I saw this morning. On the right, the shrine was the result of someone doing something that no one ever thought they would do. Someone doing the unexpected caused unimaginable grief, sorrow and evil.

On the left was the mirror image. That shrine was the result of someone not doing something that everyone thought they always would do. Someone not doing the expected in this case too caused unimaginable grief, sorrow and evil.

After all the irony though, I finally thought maybe it was serendipitous. After all, both shrines shared one thing - the question Why?

We'll likely never know the answer to that question - in either case. Why when faced with a fork in the road, with one branch marked good, the other labeled evil, do some take the high road on the right while others the low one on the left? Why? We'll never know that answer.

There is something we do know though. The way each of us lives our own individual lives becomes the collective answer to how many take the fork marked good. And we all can take away from the events today, is a more steeled resolve to do our own part to take the high road.

That's today's take-home from Stories of the Shoe.