So I did complete the 50 New Experiences before my 50th birthday (and a couple more during the birthday celebrations). Yay! And now I still have some catching up to do on the blogging.

 Our Rosh Hashanah plans were in Littleton (after the Tour of the Moon), but we were early. Neither of us felt like shopping, despite the proximity of many stores that we don’t have in Pueblo. So I reverted to one of my old standby “waiting spots,” the library parking lot adjacent to Clement Park. (In my former life, I visited many schools to observe students and often found myself with a little extra time between appointments. Columbine High School was one of the schools I visited regularly, so I know the quiet places to hang out nearby.)

Once we had parked, we decided to enjoy the last of the daylight with a little walk. As we got started, we realized that neither of us had ever been to the Columbine Memorial. We decided to check it out. I don’t know if it’s this way for other people, but many who are educators in Colorado know exactly where we were when we heard about it. It is indelibly etched. I thought of that time, and also of a friend who was a first responder at Columbine (I did not know her then), as we walked through the memorial. The design is fairly simple, and each family clearly had an opportunity to contribute. I hope that what they contributed helped them to heal.

One of the things that was striking (to me) about the memorial was the section devoted to those who were injured but survived. It seems like they got “lost in the shuffle” after the shootings. It was nice to “hear” their voices at the memorial.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time at Columbine. It really is, as people have said, a school like any other. Which of course is what makes it most scary. 

On a lighter note, we also saw this remote-controlled kite, which acts as a great reminder to “look for the joy.”