Hey, everyone. I always try to make Thursday Thoughts upbeat and inspiring. However, my original intent was to share something that stood out in my mind – good or bad. To be honest, I found it challenging to find a “happy” topic this week, so please forgive this rather bleak post.
For the second time in less than a month flags are flying half-staff across the state of Texas for victims of mass shootings. The second occurred in Midland-Odessa on August 31. Seven people lost their lives ranging in age from fifteen to fifty-seven.
Among the victims was a teenage girl who had accompanied her older brother to a car dealership. He had just purchased a new vehicle after saving his money. A mail carrier and an army veteran were also killed.
Seventeen others were hospitalized with injuries, including a seventeen-month-old toddler who is expected to make a full recovery.
Four weeks earlier, on August 3, twenty-two people died in El Paso, and twenty-four others were injured.
This week in the Atlantic, Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of the Bahamas and still threatens the east coast of the United States. Not to mention we’re coming up on the eighteenth anniversary of the 9.11 attacks, which is always a solemn occasion for me.
It’s hard to see anything good in all this. However, some stories show there is still a lot of human kindness and generosity.
While the storm still raged in the Bahamas, organizations were already collecting food and supplies for those whose homes were destroyed. Workers lined up in preparation to help restore electricity to parts of Florida if the need arose.
In El Paso, a victim’s husband didn’t have close family living nearby. When people learned there wouldn’t be many at his wife’s funeral, strangers decided to attend and support this man in his time of grief. So many the service had to be moved to a larger place.
Will that lessen his pain? No, but I’m sure it helps him to know that others care.
In the days following September 11, 2001, people stood together. They put aside their political and religious differences for a common cause. America had been attacked, but we would stand firm. We were wounded but not broken. We would rise above that cowardly act of terrorism, just as El Paso, Midland, and Odessa will.
The last thing I want to do is make this a ground for political debate. There are plenty of other places around the internet for that. If you don’t believe me, check your Facebook news feed (which I thankfully have political posts filtered out).
But I can’t help but wonder why it takes tragic events such as these for us to unite.
(No video this week.)
Joan Hall 
Joan, I see no need for your apology for sharing your true feelings today. I have the same opinions and feelings as you, and although the topics you share are downers, they represent other human lives and feelings. I liked what someone said in a comment above that if we can hold the door for each other, why is it we can’t come together on regular basis. To that I say a hearty amen!
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Thanks, Sherrey. This was foremost in my mind this week, so I decided to share. And I agree with the statement. There are still a lot of good people in the world.
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Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide Traci Kenworth YA Author & Book Blogger and commented:
An important.
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Thank you for the reblog, Traci!
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You’re welcome, Joan!
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There are so many good people who reach out to help when they are needed. That part makes me very happy, I just wish we didn’t need those situations to see this.
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I agree on both counts.
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I love your take on this. It seems odd that people who wouldn’t hold a door for one another can come together at times like this. Why don’t we seem to care every day and not just during tragedy or disaster?
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It baffles me. It shouldn’t take times like this. Then again, we don’t often get news reports of good things. Only the bad.
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True. We used to listen to Paul Harvey in the pickup during our lunch hours. He always had some good news to look forward to.
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I miss Paul Harvey and yes, he always had some good news to share.
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I just read about the funeral of a victim and all the people showing up. With all the senseless tragedy, like you said, there are still good people in the world.
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Yes, there is. That story touched me.
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This was indeed a sobering post, Joan. Despite all the ugliness in the world, I am heartened there is still goodness and love, and so very many people willing to help those in need.
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I agree, Mae. There are still lots of good people in the world.
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It is the same everywhere in the world, Joan. People unite in the face of tragedy. South Africa has been experiencing a time of intense rioting and xenophobia against people from other African countries for the past week. It is awful to watch the videos of it.
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I had not heard that, Robbie. Such a shame. I think there has always been evil in the world but these days we’d hear about it instantly. Sad that it takes tragedy for people to unite. We should lift one another up at all times.
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Some of us do, Joan, so there is always hope. I started Unseen Motives last night and am really enjoying it.
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I agree, there is hope. Glad you’re enjoying the book.
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These certainly are sad times we’re living in, Joan. 🙂
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It is, Harmony. I hated to be a downer today, but this was foremost in my thoughts. I have a more cheerful topic next week! 🙂
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