Last week as we all gathered around the TV and computer, we fluidly moved from old technology to new platforms to retrieve news of our community, witnessing in real time the events surrounding the murders and hostage crisis in Grand Rapids on Thursday, July 7.
We jumped back and forth between information outlets, including a growing presence on Twitter.
As news of the situation progressed, Rapid Growth's photographer Brian Kelly typed, "We are all neighbors tonight."
Five simple words completely summed up an experience that not only resonated as very true, but also the best way to describe the feelings of people engaged in various levels of conversation that would have surely been present had we all been in the same room.
As the event came to its end, I was struck by @mrpatulski's who said, "#GRMI is feeling scared and indignant right now, but in a week will any of us act to address #guncontrol, #mentalhealth or #socialjustice?" adding, "it's a challenge to our sense of humanity to sustain justice and community…"
It was like you could hear a pin drop as these two tweets essentially hit the reboot button on my night. And almost just as quickly as the events ended, so did the TV feed, which oddly jumped from local news to a late-night talk show with laughter. I turned off the TV and headed to bed.
But as I tried to sleep, my head was racing around, still thinking about his comments.
Over the course of our individual family histories, there have always been tragic moments where members of the clan gathered around a media device to listen to the events as they unfolded, which was very much like what happened here.
History has shown us that after these moments -- whether it is an event like Pearl Harbor or the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan -- are often followed by changes.
The shootings of July 7 were truly tragic, but discussing these events as neighbors allowed for thoughts to emerge on various topics like gun control and mental health.
I am not going to be so bold as to think that a few folks on a platform reserved for those with access to the Internet will change the world, but it is a start.
But what I feared the most is that we would pick up and move on just as quickly as the TV programming changed from an intense drama to comedy.
It is a very real thing that in a society where the bombarding of information is a minute-by-minute act, it is easy to become distracted by the new and forget the pressing moment right in front of us.
When we file away potential possibilities or discount the power of our dreams, we are in a sense committing a tiny suicide of those ideas. We miss the power of starting something that could lead to bigger things in our lives.
So, if you were moved by the community experience of last week and wanted to do something, might I suggest you take some time to sit down and craft what it is you would like to do? And after doing so, stick the idea on your refrigerator door as a reminder. Then, take the bold step and begin to plot how you will accomplish it.
Volunteerism in our community is a great place to start since we have a large number of non-profits serving the various needs of our region. The opportunities there can be enhanced when you apply your experience or your personal wealth to meet those needs.
Who knows, maybe you will be able to help a non-profit achieve the solution to its challenges with your contribution.
By doing so, we become neighbors, whether on Twitter or in real time.
The Future Needs All of Us (to dream…do.)
Tommy Allen
Lifestyle Editor
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