For a week I have felt tangled in emotion over what happened to Las Vegas. No words is a phrase for this. Today I have to try to form a few.

First this brought into focus how I am so attached to LV. Yes this girl from Seattle is bound to what I endearingly call Lost Wages.  I have worked for a company based there since 1990. Gone there so many times to visit and meet with my team(s) I can’t even count them. My relationship to this place in the desert is not about the glamour or party most think. It is my family of friends and co-workers where deep personal connections exist.

Monday upon learning of this despicable act I was frantic. How dare someone do this to my adopted city? Who was in danger or lost to us? Just a terrible unknown.

My next conundrum of words is guns. I will make no bones about that I a liberal Pacific Northwesterner own guns. Learned to shoot at 10 years old and have a deep respect for all guns. Learned from my parents that one never plays around with them. Grew up with my mother’s loaded hand gun next to her bed. Yes!!  a conflict of time, politics,  and upbringing.

Now with that said, no one needs a gun like those used in Las Vegas. Don’t claim it is for sport or hunting. That is rubbish. Those guns are for war and mass killing. We can’t kid our ourselves that guns will leave the USA persona, however, we can bring some balance. We need to put some of the genie back in the bottle and make laws on who and what has access. Let’s get reasonable here.  Start somewhere and don’t fall to excuses.

Circle back to before last Sunday. That prior Friday I took some sunrise photos. My intent was to post them to Instagram or build a blog post around nature’s beauty. The tag line I was dreaming of on the way to work was…”Joy is everywhere in Life – be ready for it”.

Despite the sadness we feel we must truck on. Drive change best we can by telling our government we want this fixed and changed. But more important we have to be open and forgiving. Only this will help eradicate the evil that has grown due to the brokeness we are experiencing.  Talk and Listen!!  Be Open to the Joy in all things even if you disagree.  Maybe put that little screen down and hug the person next to you is a good start.