Was Richard Gere right?

Okay, so maybe Richard Gere is not as bad as I thought.

In the movie UNFAITHFUL (Warning: spoilers ahead!), Gere's character goes to confront his wife's French lover. This is after she has called it off, but he doesn't know that. The resulting conversation between Gere and Frenchie is going along okay, quite pleasantly, in fact, until Gere sees a Snow Globe that he had given his wife after a trip together years ago. The idea that she had taken such a keepsake and given it to her lover sends Gere over the edge, and he takes said Snow Globe and bashes Frenchie in the head, killing him not so softly.

Okay, so I've watched this movie with several different people, and always been astounded at their reactions. While Diane Lane's character is human and somewhat sympathetic, ultimately the fault for the affair is hers, as she took the action, and there was no mitigation (abuse, abandonment, etc.). Gere's murder is somewhat on her head (did she honestly think this would all come out okay?), but he's the one who actually made the decision. By going up to Frenchie's apartment he put himself in the situation.

(Side note: It astonishes me that most of the people I talk to blame Frenchie the most. Why? He's not the one stepping out on his partner. He's not the one killing people. True, he is all for the fling, but she comes to him, not the other way around.)

Anyway, I've always said Gere is completely responsible for his actions...

Until....

A few minutes ago the laptop I am working on seized up. My timer quit functioning, as the websites quit working. I hobbled up to the front desk and asked the man what was up. Without any explanation as to what was going on, he restarted my computer. I almost choked in disbelief as I heard the familiar Windows chimes to tell me that it was logging back on. I had two open documents, one of which contained most of the second part of the movie marathon column. Because of the way the computers are set up (multiple users, etc.), there is no carryover between each use (but sometimes you can save to the desktop).

This means that everything I just wrote was gone.

Almost too astonished for words I asked the librarian why he wouldn't have mentioned this to me, so something could be done. I could have tried to save what I was doing, or maybe he could have done some sort of master-library thing. The man nonchalantly told me the only thing they could do is restart them, and he thought I knew that.

I continued in my stupor, asking him what on earth he was thinking. Various other explanations included that he didn't see the open Word documents, they usually don't allow saving to the Desktop (like they couldn't have made a one-time exception), and other fripperies.

Finally he just cheerfully said "My apologies" and turned without pause to help who was next. At this point all I guess I really wanted was some sort of empathy, an acknowledgment that what I went through was traumatic, and while perhaps it may have not been avoidable (something I seriously question), he could at least give a nod to my temporal pain.

The actions, combined with the "who gives a fuck" attitude gave me a rush, like a waterfall in my ears. I suddenly felt faint and lightheaded, and everything started spinning around me. In that moment I realized that I understood just how Gere could have succumbed to murder. It was stupid to go up to the guy's apartment, but the mild-mannered husband probably never thought of the possibility of death. Suddenly overcome he acted in a moment.

That could have been me. Hell, that should have been me. I should have whacked the bastard with my cane.