Meet My New Best Friends: Farah, Natalie, Hannah, and Katie

Today I attended the #MarchForOurLives in Uptown Charlotte. It was so enjoyable to be around 10,000 people who all were marching for (about) the same reason - to enforce stricter gun laws and save lives in America (or in my case, to abolish guns and their use altogether.)

But perhaps most importantly, at the end, it was where I first felt connection outside my own inner circle. As the march dispersed, the 10,000 was reduced to 7 - me, my parents, and four girls.


These four girls are fighters like I have written about and heard about...but never really met. Their names are Farah, Natalie, Hannah, and Katie. They are leaders in our community. They are fighting the good fight. And now, I fight alongside them as a friend.

As the chants became quieter and the people all started to leave the city square, there I was, alone, a few yards away from Mom and Dad, alone, with four girls who said they were dance students. Unfortunately, they were not ballet students. Fortunately...they "got" me. They wouldn't have cared if I had 21 heads. They wanted to be my friends and thought I was "smart" and "funny". They were good people with good hearts.

Natalie was the leader of the group, and though she looked young, claimed she was dance teacher to Farah, Hannah, and Katie. All four were energetic, beautiful, caring, and though I disagreed with them on certain parts of the issue, I was able to show I was strong and unwilling to let differences of opinion go against friendship.

And they're probably reading my blog as I write it, as I whipped up a makeshift business card and handed it to them.

Farah, Natalie, Hannah, and Katie are proponents of peace, diversity, and inclusion. They wish life was like a Coke commercial. (Coke commercials are famous for their positive messages...think back to their iconic 1982 spot for Super Bowl XVI, "Buy the World a Coke".) A Coke commercial, minus all the drinking of unhealthy carbonated beverages.

Dear Farah, Natalie, Hannah, and Katie - if you're reading this...I'll be thinking of you when I go on my little excursion in Europe with my family in a few days. I'll be keeping you four posted, and the rest of my readers posted on my relationship with them.

P.S. I feel very confident about America's future leaders. (EMMA GONZALEZ 4 PRESIDENT!!!)




Comments

  1. You are smart and funny! ;)

    Always enjoy reading your posts - as for the march; so glad you are participating in the movement. You may want to check out this article on media contagion (for those who are serious about this issue) http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/media-contagion.aspx.

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  2. I'm so glad you were able to participate in the march.

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