Has everyone in the greater Amarillo area lost their everloving minds?

I've found myself saying this to myself several times a day here recently. It seems like everyone around here has gotten their wires slightly crossed, with disastrous results for some.

In case you haven't noticed, there's been a sudden burst of shootings, wild police chases, threats made on area schools, and (on a more personal level) many unexpected miscommunications. And I believe I have found a potential cause. But you'll have to hear me out on this one.

Maybe It's Mercury

I saw this mentioned when I was reading up on something else, but apparently we are amid a celestial mishap called "Mercury retrograde". See, the "woohoo' astrologers say that Mercury rules communication. And three times a year, there is phenomenon where Mercury appears to rotate in reverse. According to the Farmer's Almanac, these periods of time are "traditionally associated with confusion, delay, and frustration. Think undelivered love letters, email blunders, and frazzled travel plans!"

We're smack dab in the middle of a retrograde that started on September 9 and ends October 1.

Now, I'm not saying it's a proven case of cause and effect. But sometimes it's worth thinking outside of the box when it comes to making sense of the insanity around you.

Mercury Retrograde All Up In The Texas Panhandle

Here's some good examples that line up with the whole Mercury retrograde thingy.

There's been multiple reports of threats at AISD schools, mostly involving unfounded reports of someone on campus with a gun, or texting bad jokes about explosives in the school......confusion ✅

The shooting over in the Western Plateau area that happened because a girl went home with a guy after the bar--angering another male to the point of shooting at the other man's home in a drive-by.......badly executed love letters ✅

Borger had a rowdy police chase through the town over the weekend. Everybody stepped out on their front lawns with phones out as the chase reached Tom & Jerry proportions....Frazzled travel plans ✅

Then the next night, one of the officers with Borger PD was shot in the arm when responding to a call for a domestic dispute, and I've got to say that the comments under the assailant's mugshot tell two completely different and confusing stories as to what really happened....confusion in communication and decision-making 

 

Then there was the shooting at the Tri-State fair that left three people wounded. What really gets me about this one happening during the supposed Mercury retrograde is the amount of incorrect information given about what happened. A deputy was initially reported to have died from injuries, then it was reported that the suspect was killed, and eventually it was shown that all injured parties survived. Also, officials had to stress that it was not a mass shooting........confusion, delay, and frustration 

Let's hear it from you

So, there you have it. Whatcha think? Is there a connection between the recent insanity and this Mercury retrograde stuff or have I lost my mind? Let me hear it.

Don't hold back.

25 Landmarks of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle

LOOK: Vintage Postcards of Palo Duro Canyon

These vintage postcards of Palo Duro Canyon are a true look into the past.

You may recognize quite a few of the iconic landmarks found in the canyon, but there's still others that you just might have not seen yet! Key word...."yet."

Take a trip into the past with these spectacular vintage postcards, you'll be inspired to take a hike!