Last week, I had the immense pleasure of having brunch with a girlfriend I've been friends with for twenty-five years, but due to life and geography, rarely get a chance to see. That being said, I always make it a point to catch-up with, "Sassy", at least once a year. She's one of those humans that radiates so much light and love, letting her disappear out of my life would be downright dumbassery. What I'm about to tell you is proof...
During our meal, Sassy leans over the table and says, "Do you remember all those back-to-back school shootings last year?"
I nodded and said, "I was so polarized. I kept Oliver out of school for a week after Parkland."
(Interjection-- Parkland is twenty minutes from my hometown. Marshall is two hours from where I currently live. I was a hot-ass mess. I wouldn't let my son out of my sight for eight-days, then cried when my husband made me send him back to school.)
Sassy said, "Parkland was it for me, too. I had to do something. I have four children in the same school."
What Sassy said next blew my mind:
"I drove over to the school, counted the number of exterior and interior doors, figured out how much it was going to cost to have them fitted with Barracuda locks, then had a fundraiser to buy them. I raised $23,000."
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| Not Sassy in the Photo. |
I sat there blinking, stunned silent.
Sassy, a full-time employed, mother of four and animal foster-mom, raised TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND!
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| Not Sassy in the Photo. |
Wow. Just, wow.
She said she had to do something, so her children weren't sitting ducks, and dammit she did. This ONE mother got off her, already busy, ass and made shit happen. She found the "soft spot," figured out how much it was going to cost to fix it, then fundraised her ass off for the door locks.
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| Not Sassy in the Photo. |
Sassy, if you're reading this, I LOVE YOU! Thank you for inspiring me to find the 'soft spot' at my son's school. Sadly, I'm not sharing it in case some sick fuckstick is reading this, but I found it and called the amazing chick in the front office, that basically runs the school, and shared my concerns. She told me I wasn't alone, and a committee of three moms were working on a "redesign." She gave me their email addresses and now that committee is four, and growing.
I'm so proud to call Sassy my friend. She is 100% responsible for taking the first major step to making a K-12 public school in a small town, safe. With hundreds of kids in the school, there's no telling how many lives she saved in the event of a mass shooter trying to get in. Thanks to her, and the exterior and interior classroom locks, the town will never have to know.
I hope by me sharing this you'll be inspired to use your time, talent or treasure to the be the ONE person who makes a major change for the better in your community.
