So I was going to Centerville to meet with my friends Chris and Laura before work, but they were stuck in traffic so I decided to pick up my uniform because I was told it had just arrived. I was near work when they started closing random roads (no detours or contingency plans, they just started shutting down intersections) and I kind of got stuck. I was close enough to walk so I ditched my car and headed out. Last Monday, there was a shooting at the police station directly next door to my job where the first officer in Fairfax County was lost to an assailant in the line of duty. The whole thing was really sad (the gunman was apparently crazy and simply opened fire in the station parking lot). I'm walking and apparently the funeral precession was coming through that way so they weren’t letting even pedestrians pass. Before I knew it, I found myself right by the police station which was apparently the "friends and family area". I didn't want to be like "I just need to cut through to get to work" and I wanted to leave but I didn't want to "walk away" so I figured it was coming by soon and I could just wait it out and be respectful. I tried to turn off my phone, but just then Chris called me. I hung up on him really quickly but not before everyone had turned to look at me! Also, I think I blew a gasket because my blood pressure has been dropping out on me this past week and I got really faint. I didn't want to be disrespectful and sit down so I stood there for TWO HOURS fading in and out. I just didn't want to pass out and cause a scene and the whole time all I could think was "you don't belong here!"
The funeral precession did finally come and it was really beautiful. It was so sad to see the family members of the deceased (I believe her sisters) just staring into the crowd from their cars and crying. As weird as it was, at least at the end of the week, I still had all my loved ones.