I wasn’t shot today.

I made it through another 24 hours.

I couldn’t find a sitter, so I didn’t make it to the bowling alley.

I was late going to the parade.

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I went to this grocery store instead of that one.

I missed school that time law enforcement didn’t come to the rescue.

I skipped my appointment the day that the patient shot his doctor.

That cop didn’t use me for his anger management target practice.

I didn’t attend the potluck dinner.

I didn’t go to the synagogue that day.

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I wasn’t serving my country at Ft. Hood at that time.

I didn’t join my friends for the concert in Vegas.

I wasn’t at that Walmart.

I wasn’t at the movie theater, I wasn’t dancing with friends at Pulse, I wasn’t finishing up a long shift at the spa.

I wasn’t at Chapel Hill, UC Santa Barbara, or Virginia Tech at any of those times.

Whew.

I survived another day in the U.S.

Another day to see my nephews grow up.

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Some angry young man didn’t choose to walk into my orbit, ending my dreams, today.

But he could have. And he just might.

But today, I am grateful.

It was a good day.

I wasn’t shot and killed in America … today.

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Joe Guay of Dispatches From the Guay Life is a recovering people-pleaser now writing on Medium and other publications. A full-time voiceover actor aiming to also be the poor man’s David Sedaris, he writes on mental health, travel, showbiz, gay life, and surviving life through humor.

This article was originally published at Medium. Reprinted with permission from the author.