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My kids' school district was on lock down this morning because someone robbed a local gun shop. Sadly, news like this doesn't surprise me much anymore. We live in a scary world, and not all of the money saving ideas in the world can change it. Love can though. Sometimes.

And, of course, events like this always bring up a memory from when I was a little girl. We were home one sunny morning. Gunshots. My dad and brother rushing outside to help our shot and bleeding neighbor, cops swarming around our house, telling me to stand in between the windows against the wall, wrapping me in a blanket. Somehow I got to school that day, and it was on lock down, too. Sometimes it feels like a dream or a nightmare since I was only seven or eight at the time, but then I go looking for the news story and am reminded about it all over again.

Shooting in Somers, NY 1983

My parents still live in the same house; their neighbor is still one of the men listed in the article. And time has marched on.

As for today, I think they caught the responsible people, but I hug and kiss my kids everyday before they get on the bus to school. And, on that note, since it's election day, I will go vote again for change.
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