I am from sandy shores and the wind-swept beaches of old Florida.
The Kodachrome days of film sold in the stores that lined Collins Avenue in Miami Beach and the crumbling Art Deco buildings of South Beach that will predate its resurgence in 50 years.
The Coppertone kiosks with beachballs, umbrellas, quarter paperbacks and ice-cream cones in the perspiring coolers screamed from the heat.
The shuffling walkers along the boardwalk with its palm fronds and the seagulls diving into the sea with their uncanny accuracy. It was home.
A large Cuban population had moved in and settled in the poorer rundown sections of the city and often took comfort beachside with their colorful music and food. They, as my grandfather, a Hilton executive with the Havanah Hilton, had escaped Cuba with Castro’s takeover.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was around the corner, and I was in school drilled in hiding under our desks as we were a comfortable target being only 90 miles away from the newly Communist-led country. A big bomb. A bomb that would take us all out. Nuclear War. The times were scary.
Recent events on OUR shores bring violence directly into the classroom – Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and now Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Kids killed in school. Kids are killed in environments meant for learning and growth. The times are scary.
A series of safety books the Greensboro Police Department is purchasing for the public and its schools as part of its safety education throughout the county brings home the potential for violence in one titled: “Any Time, Any Place: Active Shooter Situations.”
According to Police Chief Rodricus Monford, it is part of the city’s measures in believing that education is the first step in making a difference and to continue their battle to protect our children and community. An effort is underway for area businesses to help sponsor costs.
Although I laud the department for its attention to current events, I can’t help but feel sad that many kids go through metal detectors to attend big schools now, and their parents are left reading a booklet advising best practices to avoid getting killed by a hard lead bullet. The times are scary.
No matter what side of the second amendment one falls on, many agree some measures need to be addressed. And it looks like we may, as a country of people, be on the precipice of making things just a little safer, we think, for the first time in a generation.
Perhaps, it’s the collective consciousness of society or a need to return to a time when it felt safer to send our children to school. The times are scary. But in tragedy, hope can foster change.