So there was this moment recently at a social event I went to with my friends that really resonates with me. It was a moment that arrived surprisingly and represented way more than what actually transpired. It was a moment that the entire atmosphere of the room was shifted and you could hear a pen drop. It was a moment that needs to be reflected on.

Let me set the scene.

A group of friends and I went to a themed, annually presented house party. We went to have fun, socialize, network, and fellowship. The beats were bumping and the atmosphere was laid back and LOUD. In the middle of the house was a kitchen, towards which many people tended to gravitate. The kitchen housed snacks, supplies for instant party mess clean ups, and party favors.

Here I was, grabbing some fake cheese and grapes, with my back turned towards the party favors. All of a sudden, I heard a gunshot. Literally everyone ducked their bodies, froze, and caught their breath. We waited, and then someone mumbled something, and more people started talking. I turned my back to see a girl holding a gunpowder fire popper thing in her hands looking REALLY red in the face. She had just pulled a party popper.

The host rushed over to her, told her to put it down, and instantly trashed the rest of the party favors. We all looked at each other, grateful to be living, and horrified at the situation we were just put through.

But it was more than that. In the moments following, a bunch of us took a moment to feel the gravity of what had transpired. When you live in a world that almost every headline is negative and every week a new mainstream shooting takes place, you've gotta stay ready for anything. We all automatically assumed the worst. A shooting. And we all lived in that reality. When will it stop exactly? Will the fear ever really dissipate? It is heartbreaking to admit, but I doubt that the problem is as easy as brushing some party favors under the table.