Author Information
THE LIFE WE ONCE KNEW
While in Las Vegas for Bryan’s 40th…as part of his birthday design
We took a family picture…in front of the Welcome To Las Vegas sign.
As we stood for our portrait…it was a bright, beautiful, cool and sunny day
and behind us standing Vegas strong…was a cross…and the Mandalay Bay.
Our reverie paused a moment…for in that moment we all felt numb…
The cross and the hotel stand as chilling reminders of how unsafe our world has become…
When I was young the world seemed safe…oh there were dangers I have no doubt
but my parents didn’t seem to worry if through the neighborhood I traveled about…
My parents told me to be home for supper…to wear a jacket or I might freeze…
and when I got home they’d ask if I had fun…what I did…and how did I skin both my knees?
They didn’t worry about kidnappings, child sex trafficking, terrorism, mass murders or guns…
They worried that we had enough to eat, that we were dressed well and that we had fun.
When our children were young the world still seemed safe…oh there were dangers I have no doubt…
But we didn’t worry as our kids headed off in the neighborhood…to play and traveled about.
We didn’t worry about them getting shot at a concert or mowed dow by a car in the street
Their world…our world…seemed much safer…
free from harm…
protected and sweet.
When we finished taking our family picture I noticed Ali face timing her children back home
and I thought how unsafe the world has become…in whatever neighborhood they roam.
I brought my harmonica to Vegas to play Happy Birthday to Bryan…
I wanted to see a birthday smile light up his face…
But there by the cross memorializing the victims…
I took it out and played Amazing Grace.
I played that song for all the victims who lost their lives or were injured
and for all of their families too…
And remembering back to when we were young…
I played Amazing Grace for the life we once knew.
