When Headlines Hit Home
Every day I check the website of our local news to see what, if anything has happened on the west side of Cincinnati that day. It’s where I grew up, where I live, where most of my friends and family live, where I go to church and where I work. Stories about Price Hill really stand out to me. I work in this neighborhood and it is a regular headline maker, usually for crime and violence. My heart is especially invested in this neighborhood because my heart is invested in the kids and families I work with. When I see that a child has been abused or killed my heart leaps into my throat as I click the link and hope it’s not someone I know. Isn’t that kind of twisted? If it’s one of “my” kids I will be devastated. If the child is a stranger to me I am still so sad but not as sad. I feel kind of guilty about that sometimes but I guess that’s the way it has to be. If I became devastated and grieved hard core over every case I would lose my mind.
I’ve worked at the club 2 ½ years and there have been 3 deaths that I know of. None of these children attended very regularly but I knew their faces and their names. 2 children died of cancer and 1 young boy made local headlines when he died after shooting himself in the eye with a bb gun. I probably knew him best. Sometimes I buy these magazines filled with word and number puzzles. Some of them are too hard for me and I told him that but he would spend an hour or so trying to figure some of them out. Most of the kids give up if they don’t get it in 5 minutes. He was a rowdy little boy but sweet. I can’t believe he’s gone.
The violence of this neighborhood touches all who live here. Many of the kids have t-shirts with photographs on them of friends and family members who have been killed. Rest in peace they say, we love you with a date of birth and date of death. Even without the t-shirts, the people in the headlines are often these children’s family and friends. Even if they don’t know the victim it may be someone they know who committed the crime.
Just last Sunday a 15 year old girl was spending the night at her friend's apartment. The next morning her boyfriend shot her in the head and killed her. I didn’t know this young girl but I'm sad for her and her family. I’m angered by the unnecessary loss of life. The article said she left behind an 8 year old sister.
Today a grandma came to the club with her granddaughters who are regulars there. They had a visitor with them today, a neighbor’s child, an 8 year old little girl who’s sister was killed on Sunday. A beautiful little girl standing in front of me, a headline come to life, a living, breathing human being with confusing and unbearable pain she will probably carry with her to some degree most of her life.
She is smiling and eating a blow pop sucker. She seems to be having a good time at our back to school carnival. My heart is heavy.
I’ve worked at the club 2 ½ years and there have been 3 deaths that I know of. None of these children attended very regularly but I knew their faces and their names. 2 children died of cancer and 1 young boy made local headlines when he died after shooting himself in the eye with a bb gun. I probably knew him best. Sometimes I buy these magazines filled with word and number puzzles. Some of them are too hard for me and I told him that but he would spend an hour or so trying to figure some of them out. Most of the kids give up if they don’t get it in 5 minutes. He was a rowdy little boy but sweet. I can’t believe he’s gone.
The violence of this neighborhood touches all who live here. Many of the kids have t-shirts with photographs on them of friends and family members who have been killed. Rest in peace they say, we love you with a date of birth and date of death. Even without the t-shirts, the people in the headlines are often these children’s family and friends. Even if they don’t know the victim it may be someone they know who committed the crime.
Just last Sunday a 15 year old girl was spending the night at her friend's apartment. The next morning her boyfriend shot her in the head and killed her. I didn’t know this young girl but I'm sad for her and her family. I’m angered by the unnecessary loss of life. The article said she left behind an 8 year old sister.
Today a grandma came to the club with her granddaughters who are regulars there. They had a visitor with them today, a neighbor’s child, an 8 year old little girl who’s sister was killed on Sunday. A beautiful little girl standing in front of me, a headline come to life, a living, breathing human being with confusing and unbearable pain she will probably carry with her to some degree most of her life.
She is smiling and eating a blow pop sucker. She seems to be having a good time at our back to school carnival. My heart is heavy.
posted by Jennifer @ 9:12 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:31 PM ,
Tennessee Mama Duck said...
Oh, Jen. This makes my heart heavy too.
I was in Adams County, Ohio this past weekend with the kids to visit my grandmother. She gets Cincinnati's news. She told me of how there are so many shootings there - almost every day! She asked me if it was that bad in Knoxville. I told her no. Why is it so much worse in Cincinnati? I just don't understand...
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