The day after the Walmart shooting, I went to Walmart to get last minute school supplies for my kids. The shooting was heavily on my mind as I entered Walmart. The shooter in El Paso, TX targeted that Walmart because it was near Mexico and he knew there were many Mexican people there. My town is near the Mexican border and has a heavy Mexican presence. That fact was not lost on me.
As I walked the isles looking for the school items we needed, I thought of the Mom who was shot and killed to protect her baby. She too was at Walmart getting school supplies for her kids. The more I thought of her, the more I looked around the store thinking, “Could that be a killer?” I caught myself having those thoughts and I didn’t like it.
So I decided that the only thing I can do is make a difference now, one person at a time. I made eye contact with every person and smiled. I thought of how those shooters felt unseen and angry by society. Who knows what kind of difference a kind smile could have done for them. Yes, I know I am being simplistic about it but why not. Sadly, I also realized that I was smiling at people so that IF they were a shooter, they would remember that I was kind. How sad is that.
Be kind to each other. You never know what they are thinking or needing.
Mea Sparks 