For many Southland residents, a visit to a Lake Michigan beach is a summer staple.

Ireally hate it when my words come back to bite me, this time literally. For years, I have poked good-natured fun at people who treat their pets like family, or worse, like children.

I have always consideredmyself a lucky commuter. Having only to travel from my home in Homer Glen to my job in Tinley Park every workday, my smooth-sailing ride usually takes 20 to 25 minutes. I don't have to park and wait for a train or sit in heavy traffic, so I save time and gas money.

"Holy cow, Mom! Did you hear that?" my son asked, disbelief in his voice. "That's crazy. Why would that boy shoot himself?"