The activity was what you would expect for a 10-year-old’s birthday party at the bowling center.

Kids running back and forth from pizza to pinball machines and neon-lighted alleys.

Adults who had not rolled in years, if ever, hoping to get feet, belly, hands and ball at the same pace at the same time.

Most failing miserably but an occasional pocket hit and pins falling helter-skelter.

Nothing that would make one think anything out of the ordinary was on the horizon.

Just days earlier must have been the same kind of evening at the center in Lewiston, MA, only to have it turn into a nightmare.

There seems to be little we can do to keep killers from killing if that is what they are determined to do.

Or should it be there seems to be little we are willing to do?

Every time the Alexandria center’s doors slid opened Sunday it was to admit people armed with gifts, bowling bags, toddlers and the like, not rifles meant to murder. Lucky us.

Standing in line to refill the cola pitcher, I mentioned to the woman behind me that I could not help but think of the Maine bowling alley.

The blank expression was unexpected.

“You know, the murders in the Maine bowling center,” I explained.

“Oh that’s where it was? Heard it happened and just tuned it out. Don’t need bad news,” she said while juggling cola and toddler.

Just tune it out. Maybe that’s where we lost our way.