Dear Readers,

I find myself sad and angry and uncharacteristically pessimistic as I sit down to write this week’s blog.

Another shooting. 22 people dead.

22 people who will not wake up again.

22 people who had plans and dreams and wishes and now none of them will ever come true.

I am thinking a lot about that as I put my little girl to bed tonight. I don’t know the answer or the way to solve this but I do know that one thing we can do is embrace our differences and talk about them and listen to each other. It sounds simple and it is.

It’s also extremely difficult to consider another person’s opinion, life experience, and point of view when we are so enamored without  our own.

I was reminded of the importance of this as I watched my husband work on his poster for the upcoming PRIDE Parade. He was carefully outlining the words and plotting out his design and strategizing like an architect building a magnificent edifice.

In stark contrast, I looked at my poster board, and threw some elements on it, wrote out the theme, “The Answer Is Love” in loopy hand and called it done.

Our daughter colored on her poster board with no direction or plan (that we know of) and that was fun to watch.

What does all of this have to do with the shooting and how we stop future shootings?

Quite a lot, I think. To better illustrate it, I will utilize words by another writer

Aaron Sorkin as he talks about “how to beat the terrorists”

Learn things. Be good to each other. Read the newspapers, go the movies, go to a party. 
Read a book. In the meantime, remember pluralism. You want to get these people? I mean, 
you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one 
idea. Makes 'em absolutely crazy.

What different way of thinking will you embrace today, right now to help

you learn something you didn’t know before?

Who can you listen to?

Think About It.

No, Let’s do better. No more thoughts and prayers.

Go Do Something.