Like the rest of America, I woke up Monday morning and found myself speechless and stunned at what had transpired the previous night in Las Vegas. Just three week prior I’d seen Jason Aldean in concert here at USANA and couldn’t fathom the living hell that descended upon that crowd of 22,000. Even though I had no immediate connections with anyone in attendance, it still hit close to home.
That same numbness stayed with me throughout this week, every time the events appeared on a television, phone or in conversation. But light will always shine through the darkness. I found an inkling of light by turning back to country music in the lyrics of Maren Morris and Eric Church’s heartbreaking tribute.
Seeing the healing power of these two artists and their work, I was remembered a rough poem I’d jotted down on a stray piece of paper almost a year ago. I’m not a poet and these hastily-written lines may have never seen the light of day were it not for the tragic events of Sunday night. For better or worse, whether they’re worth reading or not, I wanted to share those words.
This poem isn’t about gun control or any other hot-button political topics. It was inspired by the sight of yet another flag at half mast and everything that flag and how it is flown means for our country and each one of us living in America. No amount of words can make what happened in Las Vegas — or any other tragedy — go away, but I believe they can inspire hope and that’s a start.
