Fall Break in Uvalde

Recently, my wife and I drove down to Uvalde, TX to pay our respects, meet some new friends and help with basketball athletics class at Uvalde High School.

Uvalde is the site of one of the worst mass shootings in history. It is where 19 4th graders and 2 teachers were murdered and others were severely injured.

It was an unusual place to be.

It's been just 5 short months since this horrific thing occurred, but it has been on my mind since. It touched my heart in ways other shootings haven't. I don't know why, but it has.

It was unusual because of this bad thing happening, yet the cruel reality of life is that it goes on. There were people at restaurants, in the grocery store, laughing and going to school. It is a cruel reality, but it is also just reality. 

Now, for the families and friends and most everyone in the community, life goes on, but they have had their lives given new, alternative paths they didn't expect to have. Their anger and desire for something to be done can absolutely be understood.

It's a horrible situation.

You have victims that were mourned. 

You have angry, sad people involved who want to know how this could happen to their children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters.

You have law enforcement that is still there, but are taking huge criticisms, most of it warranted, and some of it makes them a sounding board. Many were following orders, I cannot see myself standing outside those rooms and not entering, but they were following orders. And I am sure many of them are not doing well mentally because of this and the criticism they are receiving.

You have school administration and who have had this "thing" thrust upon them. They didn't want this to happen and are having to deal with legalities of the situation that makes info coming out or firings move too slow for the people that are understandably angry.

And you have the shooter's family. 

Yes, they are victims too. Their relative was a sick, deranged individual who attacked his family and then did this heinous thing.

And they are still there, living in the community.

Some family members of the shooter, in shock I would guess, have made unusual statements to the media only pouring gasoline on a raging fire.

There has been protesting, verbal anger hurled at people who are trying to do their best, there has been firings and resignations, there has been so much hurt brought on by this...this evil that it hasn't stopped long after it happened in May, and I don't see it ending any time soon because of the nature of this evil.

And then there are those who are pushing along, doing the best they can in a horrible situation, trying to bring "normalcy" back to a place that will never be normal again.

Two of these people are the boys' basketball coach Ramon Burato and his wife Rosie. I helped Coach with basketball during the school day and my wife and I went out to eat one night with him and his wife.

What I found was two amazing people from Uvalde, who love people, and are the right people for the right time in this right place for them.

Coach does an amazing job in coaching his team. He loves his kids, he works hard and realizes that there is more to basketball than winning and losing and it couldn't be more true for him than ever before.

He is from and coaches at a town/school that has a high rate in many bad things in normal times and there are gangs in the community, so you know that element carries over into the school day and affects his players.

And he has players on his team who lost siblings on that day in May.

It's a community not unlike any around here in Southern Indiana, drug usage, drug dealing, overdose, gang activity, fights, suicide, and divorce. One that has had trauma, but now more piled on, a type that not many communities have had to deal with.

I feel for the families that lost children and loved ones that day, I am sick to my stomach and search for answers when I think about it.

But some may read this and wonder why I bring up caring about the law enforcement and the shooter's family. Because, they have been victimized in different ways, ways that will get very little empathy from the masses.

But I understand the anger, and I just try to put smiles on peoples faces when I am in those situations because it is messed up, really messed up right now. And we should love on people in need especially this drastic need. 

But, if something like this happened to my children, it would probably have to be someone else other than me to show sympathy for those that I would blame.

And that's why we need each other on this planet and in our communities, and I know it's a cliché, but we need Jesus.

Only then, will the pain be gone.

Until then, we must show Jesus life and love examples and help those who need it, to be convicted to reach out, and to put a hand on a shoulder, to listen, pick up a phone to call or text support.

Life is hard, I think too often we make it harder than we should, but if it is hard for you, it is hard for someone else and by reaching out and helping others, it is amazing what lessons and fulfillment you get for yourself. 

Truth Over Tribe

I am reading a new book called Truth over Tribe (Pledging allegiance to the lamb, not the donkey or the elephant), and it's a book I feel very much relatable to my life.

I am the liberal in conservative circles and the conservative in liberal circles, and 100% it is my fault.

I have taught for 24 years now and one of the main things I try to get across to my students is that there are different perspectives on any given issue. You don't have to believe what someone else does, but show some respect and be able to defend your own opinion or facts.

It's my fault because I talk too much and have an opinion even more too often.

And, if that person is arguing from a feet planted, firm perspective, I just have to try and show a different way. I don't know why I do it, I should just keep my mouth shut, but I don't sometimes. 

And then...

That person either treats my perspective (which may not even be my opinion) with respectful disagreement or, well, doesn't.

And then because I can be emotionally immature when treated like I don't know what I'm talking about, tend to maybe lose it a little.

Ok, sometimes a lot.

I am not perfect, and I sure as heck don't know everything, but I can promise you if I put it out there, I have thought about it a lot and tried to look at an issue from every angle.

Just because I don't agree with something or someone doesn't agree with me, doesn't me that we are wrong, in fact, we are just looking at something from a different perspective.

Abortion?

You're looking through the pregnant woman's perspective or the unborn's perspective.

Illegal Immigration?

You're looking through the people running for a better life's perspective, or how can we handle so many new people and still function perspective.

Law enforcement?

You're looking through the police perspective or the minority policed perspective.

And on and on and on.

Here's a good test for you when it comes to whether you have an open mind or not.

Do you ever feel that your "side" is wrong on any issue or does anything wrong, misspeaks, etc?

Also, when your "side" does this, are you willing to admit it or even speak up and point it out?

If no on those questions, you just might be part of the problem.

But so am I, but I'm trying.

Grace, Always Grace

That teacher just lost her mom.

That teenage student is used to being verbally and physically abused at home.

That police officer is going through a divorce.

That pastor just lost a child to cancer.

That accountant had a flat tire on the way to work.

That principal has a sick pet that has been with her for a long time.

That lawyer has been sexually assaulted.

That coach is dealing with a drug addicted sibling.

That construction worker is getting over alcohol addiction.

That doctor has lost multiple patients this week.

That soccer mom gets no help from her husband.

That McDonald's worker is dealing with a mental illness.

That tech manager is dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's.

That PTO president wishes her kids acknowledged her.

That student wishes her parents would tell her they love her.

That fire fighter has a sick relative.

That young girl has dealt with sexual abuse.

That young guy has dealt with sexual abuse.

That former student is dealing with a criminal trial.

That current student is angry because they've been through more rough things than you have.

That air traffic controller is dealing with a disease that creates pain every day.

That nurse is addicted to pain meds.

We are all dealing with something. What may not seem a lot to you, very well could be huge to that person. 

When dealing with others remember, always remember that a little grace can go a long way.

We're Not in Gangs

I got caught up in it a little when I first became a believer.

When someone left their current church, it was almost like they had committed some unforgivable sin and it would be awkward when you saw them in public.

How dumb is that?

I mean...we're not in gangs.

And if someone continues to go to church, but it's not their current church or the church I attend, I don't care.

Do they still believe in God?

Do they still believe Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross and was resurrected three days later?

Are they still growing and helping others?

Yes. Yes. and Yes.

Then great for them.

I don't care about differences in churches.

They preach for an hour. Good for them..

They preach for 15 minutes. Good for them.

They have acapella singing. Good for them.

They have a rock and roll band on stage. Good for them.

They do something completely "strange" from your church? Good for them.

If they're not breaking any laws from the government, they're not breaking any moral laws from the Bible, and they believe the above things...well, good for them.

We are taught division from birth; favorite towns, schools, sports teams, etc, etc, but the church needs to get over itself and it's division.

If you're Catholic, I love you.

If you're Methodist, I love you.

If you're Presbyterian, I love you.

If you worship in any church, and heck, even if you don't...I love you.

We must get over our divisions and learn to be the hands and feet of Christ and not the hands and feet of our denomination.

That's Okay

I've noticed that I don't read as much, I don't watch movies as much, and I haven't been writing as much.

And I wonder, is it because I am only reading 140 characters at a time often every day, I watch 10 minute videos often every day and it's causing me not to want to write.

When you are being inundated with short bits of info, the longer bits can be tiring because you don't have the stamina for it. You've gotten out of the habit of reading or watching longer.

I have had some ideas about what to write about, but forget when I get back to a computer to write things down, and maybe that has something to do with it.

I do know that from time to time, my intelligent father would make comments about having too much information, and tune out from time to time.

I couldn't understand it then.

I understand it now.

I guess I am in a time in my life where writing and reading aren't a priority, I don't feel the inspiration to do these things, but that's ok.

Think! or Don't, but Don't Tell Me...

There's too much information and too many people have too many "informed" opinions on any given situation due to that.

Yea, I know. That sounds bad, but a few uninformed people would be nice for the informed to lead around, right?

Yea, probably not.

But what has happened is that too many people feel that they are as informed as experts on situations. 

But to be fair, experts in one field tend to give us their "expert" opinion on issues they don't know as much as we probably do.

I believe what I believe and I believe in the absolute truth of Jesus Christ, but I cannot understand people who are closed minded enough to not want dialogue on any given issue. 

I  will even discuss, debate, dialogue on Jesus.

But people close their minds, and often those who think they're uber open minded are closed just inside a different set of points.

And then there's me who has taught social studies for 24 years now and have been intentional in using logic and reason  to discuss any given point. 

I want my students to think!

But thinking is not being done. It's not being done by the closed minded, uninformed, emotional, knee jerk reactionaries and it's not being done by (gasp) the elite, intelegensia.

One side doesn't care to think and the other side...well, they have it all figured out and there is no questioning their...um..."expertise" as deep thinkers.

I am not sure which is worse, I really don't.