I realized the other day that I hadn’t made a post in a while (had computer/photo issues), but with everything that has gone on in the world in the last few weeks (Portland, Oregon shooting and now Connecticut) I realized it has not been as important to me. Some bloggers are taking a day of silence, but I figured it was better to post this.
I may live in a smallish area of Nevada, but these events even affect me:
a) I have a friend that lives in the Portland area. My first prayer was that she and her family were OK (besides the other family of friends I know that live up there) – luckily all are OK.
b) I just heard that one of the families affected in Connecticut works for a company that is also in our valley.
c) Besides being a mom and a Sunday School teacher we have multiple family members that are teachers, etc. One even was a principal at an elementary school and one is currently a elementary school teacher. Besides my heart breaking for the families of the victims, my heart breaks for the survivors and even the family of the gunmen. I remember when 9/11 happened and wondered how to talk to our young daughter about it – this would even be harder. I do not hope we forget that these events happened, but I hope we (as a country) learn from them.
d) Even yesterday I struggled with the idea of going to a big inside mall in Reno. I know that the odds were low that something bad would happen, but between the crowds and that concern I decided to do my shopping elsewhere. Maybe in a few months it will not be one of the first things I think about when I go to a mall.
Even in my lifetime I have seen how people (in general) have changed: less respect for life (their own or others), a lot more of ‘me-ism’ (nothing matters, but what I want/feel). I also believe there are lot people that need help and are not getting it.
So, I keep asking myself how can I help. Right now I don’t have all the answers, but I will be donating the local fund that was started for the one family and continually trying to care more about others than myself.
– H
A Creative Engineer In Nevada 