After Sandy Brook: A Plan to Repair What is Broken In Us

If I every buy a gun, it will be locked up in one place, ammunition in another. NO ONE will be given the keys or combinations. I will not possess, own, or use bullets, commonly called "cop killers."

I will be more watchful of family and friends who seem to be struggling with the small and big stresses of life. I will listen more and talk less. However,  I will not be silent when I feel help is needed.

My life has not and will not revolve around the trite, trivial, and trendy.  What the Cyrus girl does with her hair is not important to anybody. The rotating judges on American Idol are not important to world peace. And the latest electronic device might help me be more connected, but will it disconnect me from those I care about?

I have never considered myself a bully, but I have become more mindful of the lie in the saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names (words) will never hurt me."

A warm smile, a hug, a kind word, lift the spirits of all of us. I know my interaction with another human can literally make or break their day.

When I need time away from the hectic pace and stress of the day, I will take it without apologies. I will stop and analyze what is important and what is not, behave and act accordingly. If I can't figure it out, I will seek help without embarrassment.

Our time on the planet is finite. There are no guarantees about the length of it.

All journeys, large projects, or goals, be it world peace, or helping prevent the senseless loss of life, require a first step.

Want to take it with me?