I went to a movie with a friend last night and afterward we went to my favorite neighborhood restaurant for dinner.

We sat at the bar and I said to Sam, who is the best bartender ever, “Hey, how are you?”

He said, “Well, Paris is burning, but I’m ok.”

Now, that’s a movie title, so I thought maybe that’s what he was referring to, but then I thought that was sort of weird, so I said,”What?”

He said, “There have been a bunch of terrorist attacks all over Paris.”

Suddenly I didn’t really want my meatballs anymore.

I came home and did what I do when these sorts of things happen, I turn on the tv and flip from news station to news station, I open the computer to the Times, Huffpost, Twitter, Facebook.

I pray.

I don’t understand why people can’t just talk over their disagreements. Go into a big room with a lot of sandwiches and a lot of potato chips and not come out until they can make compromises, peace.

I don’t understand. I just don’t understand.