Two days ago there was a shooting across the street from the school where I work. Since I'm there for the after school program, I missed the events of the day, but got the aftermath. I drive up to the school and there are at least 10 police cars, crime tape, and neighborhood members standing around watching what's going on. Oddly enough I didn't have any sense of fear, maybe caution, but not fear. I find out later that there was a quarrel in the street, and a guy was shot two times in the chest.

Where it relates to my life...
The kids I work with saw the shooting. It happened around 11:30 AM, when the 2nd graders were having lunch. They saw the man being shot through the windows of the cafeteria, and they know both the victim (who died) and the gunman. At the age of 21, seeing someone shot would have a huge impact on me, and I can only imagine what it feels like when you are 7 or 8.

The school went into immediate lock down. Everyone had to sit in their locked classroom with the lights off huddled in a corner. Unfortunately, this is the life of which these kids have become accustomed. Shootings, arrests, drug deals, police searching their homes, etc. And no, I'm not stereotyping or making generalizations, because I have either seen these events first hand, or had a child at work tell me about their own personal experiences.

Although they experience such turmoil and stress at a young age, I love when they can be kids, smile and have a great time.