I am from Baton Rouge....

I am from Baton Rouge. It is the place where I spent the majority of my childhood, and I now reside here as an adult. I never once thought that the simple words "I am from Baton Rouge" would weigh as heavily and carry as much weight as it does. It certainly does now, though. The face of uncertain tragedy and violence completely changes the way you think about where you live and the people surrounding you and living in the same community. I won't say much about the Alton Sterling case except this one thing: If he would have cooperated with law enforcement, he would still be alive today. He might be in jail, yes, but he would still be living if he hadn't resisted arrest. That's not to say I agree with the excessive force used on him, and I certainly do not condone that sort of action. Nor do I agree that he should be dead. However, he was also in violation of the law because as a convicted felon, he should have NOT had a gun in his possession!! That's that. July 17, 2016 is certainly a day our community will never forget. This was a day in which three of our own BRPD law enforcement officers were gunned down. Several more were injured in an ambush that will never make sense in my mind. It is so incredibly heartless and not to mention senseless. Some psychotic adult coming into our territory to kill just for the sense of doing so. This has been an incredibly tragic event that has sure touched all our hearts, not just locally, but all around the country and the world. It has been so touching to see the support from all across the country, and the officers coming to one another's aide in a time of need. I had seen this sort of thing happening in Dallas, but never once did I imagine it would be happening in MY OWN CITY! I have seen this city come together in the face of this tragic event, and if there is at least one positive that came out of this, it is redeeming to know that my city can work together, but more importantly, can grieve together. Senseless events such as this one also cause us to think about what we're doing in our own lives to improve not only ourselves but the world around us. For me personally, I try to be as encouraging and positive as possible so that other people may feed off of that same energy. Things like this also cause us to reconsider how we are treating others, and how we can improve upon our acts of caring and kindness. I am going to ask everyone who is reading this to try and pay it forward if you can. It doesn't have to involve buying anyone anything, but if you can do that, that is fine too. Just pass on a kind word to anyone that you see. You may never understand the enormous power of a kind word. It can alter lives and personalities for the better. Lend a helping hand; help someone cross the street. Offer someone a ride when they may not have any form of transportation. Offer a listening ear; you may never know when someone's load is too heavy and they may need to talk and grieve. You don't even need to give advice. Just listen. That may be all that they need. Just love. Hate has a way of trying to overtake and ravage a person. Love brings people together. It unites us all, and gives us all a sense of warm sincerity, and most of all, a much needed ray of hope. So, if you do anything today, please make sure that it is kind and filled with compassion. The world needs kind people more than ever, and with kindness, we as a community in Baton Rouge can come roaring back with opportunity and GREAT INTENTION. #BatonRougeStrong