Fireworks on the 4th of July

Growing up, the Fourth of July was always an anticipated celebration. As a kid, I didn’t quite understand all the details of America’s fight for independence. But I knew that America was the place to be, and it was certainly worthy of its own celebration day.

One of the natural benefits of July 4^th was that it happened to occur in the summer. And that meant that there was no school leading up to the holiday. This gave the neighborhood kids ample time to collect their fireworks. Any fireworks transactions were kept on the down-low because they were frowned upon by the local law enforcement. I can understand why as they were dangerous and illegal.

And before we go any further, I don’t want to incriminate myself. I’m telling this story in the first person narrative to make it an easier read 😉.  In true “Dragnet” fashion, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

The fireworks were usually smuggled into our neighborhood from a neighboring state. We would sometimes get word that “the mule” would be making a run to Pennsylvania to make a purchase. Everyone would fill out their personal laundry list for bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles and M-80’s.

Word would come down a few days later that “Bob” had the fireworks. You would have to know someone “on the inside” who would take you to “Bob’s” house for the purchase. It felt kind of wrong. But having fireworks, even a small collection, gave you some street cred in the neighborhood. So, you would make the journey to Bob’s house by snaking along through back alleys and vacant fields. And when you finally got to the house, there was usually a tunnel between two adjacent rowhomes that would lead you to the back entrance.

Once you reached the back door, the "escort" would announce your presence to Bob. You were then invited into a small kitchen where an assortment of fireworks would be neatly organized on a fold-up table. Although we were indoors, Bob wore a pair of sunglasses. It gave him a bit of a mystique. And no matter who “Bob” happened to be, like Roy Orbison, he always wore sunglasses.

As you approached the table, Bob would look down over his sunglasses and say something like, “You’re not a cop, are you?”

I have always struggled with the urge to blurt out a sarcastic reply. I so wanted to say to Bob, “Well, if we’re being totally honest here, I applied at the Academy. But they told me to come back in six years when I turned 18.”

Of course, I didn’t say this out loud for the fear of getting my ass kicked by Bob. It would also severely jeopardize my chances of leaving with some fireworks. So, I simply said, “No, sir.”

He then made a Don Corleone hand motion as if to say, “Pick out what you want.”

Having a limited budget, I would usually grab about ten packs of firecrackers, a few bottle rockets and three or four M-80’s.

On the way out, Bob would say, “Don’t tell anyone you were here.”

It was kind of a moot point as the whole neighborhood already knew who Bob was and what kind of business he was conducting.

As the morning of the fourth arrived, you could already hear the crack and bang of fireworks through the neighborhood. Occasionally, you would hear the deep concussion of a distant M-80. These things were brutal. You wanted to be extremely careful because they had the power to instantly turn your hand into a lobster claw. Looking back, we were very lucky that no one got seriously injured. Someone once told me that the M-80’s were used to blow fish out of the water. Once the fish was in the air, fishermen would catch them with nets. I personally have never seen any evidence to support this claim. It seems to me that the explosion would turn the fish into sushi.

As the evening rolled in, most of the community would gather at Garrett Park. We would light the remainder of our fireworks in the large open field. As darkness approached, everyone slowly migrated to the edge of the large hill where you could see Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in the distance. It was the perfect spot to witness the “official” fireworks show.

As the colorful fireworks lit up the Baltimore sky, you could almost envision Francis Scott Key penning the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner” at nearby Fort McHenry. Celebrating the 4^th in Baltimore back the day was something special.

As the Grand Finale concluded, the neighborhood residents would gather up their belongings and make their way towards home. Everyone got along and it was an overall festive day. And aside from the commotion of the fireworks, things were relatively peaceful. There was a real sense of community back then.

Today, the Independence Day celebrations are pretty much confined to the back yards. And the personal fireworks collections are obtained through a “open-air distributor” on a Food Lion parking lot. Maybe not quite as adventurous as it used to be. But nonetheless, a summer tradition.

Be sure to enjoy yourself today. And take a moment to reflect on the countless sacrifices and acts of bravery that went into making our great country. And please remember our troops who continue to fight to preserve our freedoms. Happy birthday, America!

kw

 

 

 

9/11 - 21 Years Later

It was 21 years ago today when our world changed forever. In the initial aftermath of 9/11, we were left feeling shocked and frightened. We didn't quite understand what was happening. Nor did we know how extensive the attacks would be. 

As the day unfolded, we began to hear the stories about the tragedies and the heroics. It was quite hard hard to digest. So many emotions were running through us. I remember simply feeling numb. I was waiting to wake up from this nightmare. But as the day went on, as much as I tried to deny it, I was fully awake...

Today, we now have a generation of young adults who were too young to remember the impact of that infamous day. Many weren't even born yet. I assume that most of them are, at least,  aware of what happened. But there seems to be an emotional disconnect with them.

Amazingly, American pride has somehow become controversial among "Generation Z". Simply displaying your American flag can now generation calls of bias and divisiveness. What was once a source of unity has somehow been transformed into a political lightning rod. How did this happen?

Just this Friday, one of our local high schools canceled "Red, White & Blue Day" because too many people found it offensive. That's right, a display of American pride is now offensive to some Americans. The event was supposed to serve as celebration of American pride as well as a remembrance of the events of 9/11. It was scheduled to occur during the school's Friday night football game. It was ultimately changed to a Hawaiian themed night. I'm not really sure how Hawaii ties into a Friday night football game in Pasadena, Maryland. But there you have it.

The community immediately responded by organizing a makeshift parade of cars, trucks and motorcycles. Each proudly displaying American flags and other patriotic decorations. The assembly gathered at a large open lot and then proceeded to drive past the high school football field with horns a-blowin'. While some of the Hawaii crowd might have been annoyed, The First Amendment was on full display for them to witness....

I can't quite wrap my head around all of this. Even if the sight of anything that's red, white and blue does somehow bother you, why do you feel the need to cancel it for so many others? After all, this is America, a country where individual freedoms were once celebrated. But today, there's an immediate rush to shut down any opposing views. This cancel culture has to stop.

So many people, of all backgrounds, have fought and sacrificed to make America what it is today. And yes, it is great. I give the ultimate thanks to members of our military and the first responders who do so much unsung work that most people never know about. These are real American heroes.

The images of 9/11 still haunt me to this day. I will never forget how I felt. I fought back the tears when I toured Ground Zero several years later. The personal stories from the survivors were heartbreaking. But the resolve that America showed in the aftermath was extraordinary. While I hope that we never experience anything like it again, I wish there was a way to harness the emotion that we all felt on that day. 

Today, perhaps more than ever, we need to find a source of unity that brings us together as a country once again. We can certainly disagree. and we will. Who knows? Maybe we can find an amiable middle ground. But somewhere along the line, we need to find a way to once again celebrate the place we all call home. 

kw

Back in the Day - The Clothes

Every generation goes through various fashion trends. And inevitably, those things that you now think are so cool will become outdated and unfashionable...

Back in my day, the guys had it pretty easy. A few pair of Levi's blue jeans and a various array of T-shirts would round out about half of the male wardrobes. The T-shirts usually displayed a popular rock band or beer logo. A lone collared "golf-shirt" might be found in the back of a closet for that special occasion.

The classic rock look of the 70's eventually gave up some fashion leverage to the New Wave movement. This ushered in the preppy look of pop-top collars and pleated khakis. I guess this was about the time we were introduced "parachute pants". I never quite understood these. Were they actually made of parachutes? I don't know. They were essentially made of some kind of plastic/nylon material. In the summer, they acted as a sauna for your lower extremities. In the winter, they offered only an ultra-thin barrier between your legs and the outdoor elements. But amazingly, someone probably got very rich by marketing these things to the teen masses of the early 80's. Maybe it was the same guy who brought us the Pet Rock, who knows?

The 80's also ushered in the era of designer jeans. Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, and of course, Jordache found their way into the department stores where teenage girls eagerly lined up to buy them. Some of the guys bought them as well. I remember one of my good friends showing up for a pick-up football game wearing a pair of these things. I can't remember the exact brand name but they had this bold, decorative stitching design on both of the back pockets. My first reaction was, "You gotta be kidding me. Who the hell plays football in designer jeans?" But he insisted on joining the rest of us who were decked out in generic sweatpants. Every time the guy went up for a pass, I was waiting for the fashion paparazzi to jump out from behind a tree to capture the moment. 

And unlike the loose, saggy jeans of today, the jeans of my generation had to be worn skin tight. I can't imagine how many young men experienced sterility issues due to this. And the girls faced their own issues simply getting into their jeans. My pliers were always absent from my toolbox because my sisters would steal them. Why? Because their jeans were so tight, they couldn't zip them up the conventional way. So, they had to lay flat on their beds and use to the pliers to pull up on the zipper. Most of the girls from the 80's looked like they were poured into their jeans.

Somewhere around this time, the ripped jeans made their way \onto the scene. I remember seeing rock bands wearing them. The late, great Eddie Van Halen comes to mind. Before long, these methodically torn garments were readily available in all of the clothing stores. I never bought a pair of these. I always thought it was ridiculous to pay for a pair of jeans that were defective right off of the shelf. But amazingly, these things are still popular today.

I also remember seeing these oversized "balloon" pants. I don't even remember the name of them. A lot of the muscle-bound gym guys would wear them. They were often designed with zig-zag patterns and weird colors. A pair of gigantic clown shoes would have been the perfect accessory. They were absolutely ridiculous looking. Of course, I would never say this back then. Getting your ass kicked is bad enough. But getting your ass kicked by a guy in multi-colored balloon pants is too much for anyone to absorb. These pants were emphasized to nth-degree when MC Hammer hit the scene with his "Can't Touch This" video.

I believe it was also the 80's that introduced us to "leg warmers". Another item that I never quite understood. A leg warmer was basically a giant sock that covered a woman's lower leg. I'm not sure if their calves really needed an extra layer of warmth. But I guess you can never be too prepared.

For a brief period, neon-colored clothing became a trend. Although the colors were unflattering, they definitely made you stand out in a crowd. If you were going for the "late night road crew" look, this would do it for you.

Through it all, I've pretty much remained a traditionalist. Although the size has increased over the years, I still wear the standard Levi's jeans and assorted t-shirts. Fashion trends come and go but the basics never seem to go out of style.....

kw

Back in the Day - The Heat

As we wind down another summer here on the East Coast, we have definitely had our share of heat and humidity. Although you always expect summers to be hot, it's always a bit of a shock when you leave the comfort of an air-conditioned room and into the hot, damp oven of the outdoors.

Today, it's not uncommon to postpone activities due to the excessive heat. If a building's air conditioning system is broken, it almost always results in shutting things down and sending up the Bat Signal for the HVAC crew. This is especially true for schools...

Kids (and most adults) today have literally been conditioned for climate-controlled classrooms. And I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. After all, we're in the United States of America in the 21st century. But when I was a young kid back in the 70's, air-conditioned classrooms were the exception and not rule. And somehow, I survived and I'm here to tell you about it.

Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't exactly pleasant sitting in a 90-degree classroom. I can remember sitting at my wooden desk with sweat rolling down the sides of my husky head. And this was before the teacher even mentioned anything about a pop quiz. By lunchtime, the classroom was transformed into a sea of perspiration-glazed desktops. And trust me, there was no one wiping these things down with any kind of disinfectant at the end of the day. I imagine that we had the auto-immune system of a cockroach by the time we got to the sixth grade.

If you were lucky enough, your teacher would bring a large oscillating fan into the room. It essentially blew warm air in your direction with every 90-degree turn. It didn't really cool you but at least it helped to control the sweat flow. I would sometimes find an excuse to get up from my desk and walk in front of the fan to get a bonus blast. Of course, if I stood in front of the fan too long, it would draw verbal ire from my classmates. And the teacher would intervene by saying, "Mr. Wilson, please take your seat!" 

When I went home after school. things didn't get a whole lot easier. You see, our house was not equipped with air conditioning either. The only salvation came in the form of an occasional breeze that made it's way through the open windows. We also had a damp cellar that would offer a temporary refuge. But the cobwebs and scurrying insects did not make it an ideal cooling place. I can also remember putting my head in the freezer to get a few seconds of relief.

Hardly anyone had central air conditioning in my neighborhood. However, many of my friends' homes were cooled with portable window AC units. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were small rowhomes. So, an average size window unit could do a decent job of cooling things down. I lobbied my Dad to go this route but he wouldn't bite. But he did eventually install an above-ground swimming pool in the back yard. This quickly became our go-to summertime refreshment source.

I would also spend a fair amount of time at the local library to keep cool. The Enoch Pratt Free Library was located just a couple of blocks from my home. They had a reading area with large comfortable chairs. I would find an interesting book or magazine and spend the next couple hours soaking in the climate-controlled air.

Catching a movie was also a way to cool off for a couple of hours. But, of course, going to the movie theater costs money. And money was tight back then. Although the movie itself wasn't too expensive (I almost always opted for the reduced-price matinee), the assortment of concessions could really put a dent in your wallet. As a husky boy, I just couldn't sit through a 2-hour movie without a sugary soft drink and a gigantic tub of buttered popcorn. I was fortunate to have a movie theater just a few blocks from my house. I went to see "Jaws" about a dozen times. Yes, it was a great movie. But the comfort of the movie theater was just as much of a lure.

Many of the neighborhood kids played baseball in the local Little League. You would sweat profusely while fielding your position in the summer sun. The sweat would act as a magnet for the infield dirt that would inevitably get kicked up. Gatorade wasn't a big thing bag then. So, the only salvation for your thirst was a warm Coca-Cola from the concession stand at the end of the game. And when you finally made it home to take a bath, the tub quickly took on the resemblance of an orange mud puddle. Even after draining the tub, the substantial amount of orange grit scattered the tub floor. You basically had to give the tub a bath when you were done. And then, before I even made it downstairs, I was already sweating profusely again! It was a never-ending cycle!

Trying to sleep in the summertime was also quite a challenge. Since heat naturally rises, the upstairs in my parent's house was always at least fifteen degrees warmer than the downstairs. I had a large window fan in my bedroom window. My parents tried to convince me that by running the fan in reverse, the warm air would be pulled out of the house. I would always try to argue that it was futile effort because we were essentially exchanging warm inside air for warm outside air. But they wouldn't buy it and I was left to sweat myself to sleep.

Air-conditioned cars were a real luxury back in the day as well. In most cases, the only "air conditioning" came in the form of warm air blowing through the dashboard vents. If you ever see an older car, you'll notice a series of slots between the hood and windshield. This is were the outside air entered for the "vent cooling".

Fast forward to modern day....

It's hard to imagine dealing with the heat in these situations anymore. Air conditioning is almost standard in every building and automobile. And even though I still fondly remember those hot days of my childhood, I have no desire to relive them. Stay cool, my friends. Stay cool...

kw

A Brief Journey Through Thyroid Cancer

The Diagnosis

It started off as a routine check-up with my primary care doctor. My former doctor had recently retired and this would be my initial visit with my new doctor. I had heard a lot of good things about him so I was eager to meet him. He walked into the room and we exchanged salutations. He immediately started going over my health history and then moved onto the usual check-up procedures. Toward the end, he started to feel around my neck and then asked, "How long have you had this lump?"

My immediate response was, "I didn't know I had a lump."

He seemed a bit concerned and then proceeded to schedule me for an ultrasound. A week or so later, I had the ultrasound. When the results came in, they were determined to be "moderately suspicious". So, a follow-up biopsy was scheduled.

As I prepared for the biopsy at my local hospital, I joked with the medical staff. The doctor assured me that I had nothing to worry about since 99% of these biopsies come back as benign. I told him that I was not worried at all and just wanted to get the procedure over. I was more concerned about getting home and cutting the lawn before the pending rainstorm got in the way.

The doctor put a topical numbing solution on the area of my neck where the biopsy would take place. After a few minutes, he inserted a probe/needle through my neck and into the "moderately suspicious" lump. He explained what he was doing as we both watched on a nearby monitor. The entire process only took a few minutes and it was totally painless. As we said our goodbyes, one of the staff members wished me good luck. For some reason, it struck me as odd. After all, I had a 99% chance of a good news, right? Why would I need luck with those odds?

A week or so later, I get an email alerting me that I've got a new notification in "My Chart" (a personal online medical chart from my healthcare provider). My test results from the biopsy were in. I logged into My Chart and opened the message that contained my results. As I scanned the report, I was shocked to see "cancerous" in the description. I thought, "This can't be right." Although it was a bit shocking, the idea of actually having cancer seemed so far-fetched. So, I showed the result to Tina. She looked at me with a concerned face. But she advised me to stay calm until I talked it over with my doctor.

The only comforting thing here was that I received this news via an email. My thought was that you can't be told that you have cancer through an email. It's just so impersonal and callous. There had to be some kind of mistake. I planned to talk it over with my doctor in the morning. 

Well, before I made any phone calls, Tina was already on it. I heard her on the living room phone blasting the doctor's office about the way this news was delivered. They apologized and assured her that the doctor would be calling me sometime before the end of the day.

Later that day, I was in local Lowe's store when I got the call from the doctor. As I walked to a quiet spot in the yard tools section, he delivered the official news. Yes, I had thyroid cancer...

He apologized for the way I received the initial news. He explained that he had never gotten a copy of the lab results. The results were simply aotomatically uploaded to My Chart before the doctor even got a chance to review them. Isn't modern technology great?

As thoughts raced through my mind about the treatments and the ultimate endgame, I casually asked the doctor, "So, what's the next step/"

He calmly responded, "We're going to remove your thyroid gland. You'll take a pill that will essentially give you everything that your thyroid produced. And there's an excellent chance that you'll have a full recovery. We'll have you meet with the surgeon and he'll get things scheduled asap."

And that was that...I went into the Lowes thinking I would eventually be laughing about a misread email. But instead, I walked out of Lowes with the Big C...

The Surgery

I met with my surgeon at his office in downtown Baltimore. He was very thorough in his explanation of everything and he had great sense of humor which helped comfort me. He advised to me to get the surgery done sooner rather than later, so we planned on a date within a few weeks. He said the surgery came with a 95% success rate of clearing me of cancer. I joked by saying that the biopsy guy gave me better odds than that and look how that turned out. 

I asked about the risks of the surgery itself. Of course, he covered the anesthesia part and how there's always a slim chance that I won't wake up. This sounds ominous but I've been told the same thing prior to every surgery. He also said that there's a very slight change that the nerve that controls my breathing could get damaged. This would result in me having to breath with a trach tube for the rest of my life. Now, this really freaked me out. For a brief moment, I was ready to just take my chances with the cancer. But the doctor assured me that this was extremely rare. Assuming that there would be no complications, the surgery was scheduled as an out-patient procedure.

A few weeks passed and the surgery date finally arrived. I was expectedly nervous. Tina had just started a new job so my bother-in-law, John offered to take me to the hospital (by the way, I can count on this guy for everything). John picked me up at the agreed time and we made our trek to Baltimore. Once we got to hospital, I went through the normal check-in/prep procedures. An operating room nurse came in and spoke with me. She was very nice and answered all of my questions. Later, the anesthesiologist came in and explained his duties to me. Before long, I was being strolled down the hallway towards the operating room. Once I got there, there was a bit of small talk and then before I knew it, I was out.. 

I woke up a few hours later in the recovery room. As expected, I had a bit of a sore throat. This was more likely due to the breathing tube being inserted during the surgery rather than the surgery itself. I was also having a really tough time talking. It was actually exhausting to even try to speak a few words. So, I pretty much just nodded when anyone spoke to me. I looked into a nearby mirror and inspected the incision on my neck which was secured by a series of steri-strips. It was actually quite a bit longer than I expected. My understanding was that it would be roughly an inch and a half. But this thing was about four or five inches. Surprising, it was as tender or painful as I anticipated.

The hospital staff gave me my post-op instructions and before long, I was being wheeled out to the front of the hospital where John was waiting with his car. 

As I got into the car, I managed to utter, "Hey man, my throat really hurts so I don't want to talk."

John responded, "No problem. I won't say a word."

The ride out of Baltimore was a bit uncomfortable due to the abundance of pot holes and the overall bad road conditions. Each bump brought a slight grimace. But I made it home it one piece and prepared to relax for the remainder of the evening.

The Recovery

I took the following week off of work. I pretty much spent the week on my back porch reading and watching the birds feast on my various bird feeders around the back yard. I only needed to take the pain meds for a couple of days. From then on, it was just my new thyroid medication and a two-week supply of calcium supplements.

Although the pain was very minimal, I was still struggling to talk. Each word was a real effort. But things seemed to be improving every so slightly with each passing day. John pointed out that I now sounded a lot like Clint Eastwood. 

The scar from the incision is fading nicely. With time, you probably won't even be able to tell it's there. Regardless, it is totally concealed by a wearing a regular T-shirt.

A couple weeks after the surgery, I met with the surgeon for a follow-up visit. He said that there were two nodules on my thyroid gland that turned out to be cancerous. But he was able to remove all of it. All of the surrounding tissue appeared to be cancer-free. so, I would not have to go through any additional treatments. I mentioned the issue with my voice. The doctor said that this might be due to some bruising/swelling around the vocal cords or voice box. Since it seems to be getting better each day, I'm optimistic that my voice will fully recover. Until then, my friends are loving the fact that I'm quiet for a change.

There will be a follow-up in the near future with an endocrinologist. He will make any necessary adjustments to my thyroid medicine (Levothyroxine). I'm hoping to that he can tweak it to increase my metabolism so I can finally drop some of those unwanted pounds. But I know that it probably won't be that easy.

Summary

So, in the timeframe of a couple months, I went from being diagnosed with cancer to being totally cancer-free. I kept myself busy in the interim. so it was over before I really had a chance to absorb it. I'm told that these type of thyroid problems mainly occur in woman. But I guess I'm special. Or maybe I'm showing my feminine side, I don't know. Nonetheless, I am happy that it's over and that it was relatively quick and painless.

In closing, I would recommend that everyone get regular check-ups with their primary doctor. My doctor was right on top of this and I am grateful for his prompt concern and action. I have talked about the importance of regular colonoscopies in the past and this is no different. If these cancers are caught early, the survival rate is very high. So, don't neglect seeing your doctor. Ok, I'm done lecturing.

Looking forward to many more years with all of you...

kw

Preventing The Next Tragedy

I am still trying to digest the events that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. 

I can't even begin to comprehend what would possess someone to walk into an elementary school and open fire on innocent children. Pure evil is the only thing that comes to mind. No matter how bad of a day someone is having, what did these kids have to do with it? 

The terror that these children had to endure is unfathomable. And the torture that their parents are now going through is something no human being should ever have to experience. Even the hardened police officers, who have seen their share of bad scenes, could not possibly prepare for this kind of callous brutality.

I don't care where you stand politically, I think we should all agree that this needs to stop. It's so disheartening that, we as a country, can't even come together after a massacre of elementary school kids. What's happening to us?

Things will likely never go back to normal for the good people of Uvalde. But they will eventually get back on their feet with the help of their tight and caring community. After watching some of the interviews, I see so much compassion from the people of Uvalde. We could all take something away from that. And I hope we will....

As I move on, I will tell you straight up that I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. Along with that, I'm also a strong proponent of common sense and getting to the root of a problem.

It's easy to blame the gun in these tragedies. A gun can be a deadly instrument. But the gun does not fire without human intervention. Should stricter gun control laws be enacted in certain jurisdictions? Perhaps, but that's a discussion for another day.  Maybe we need to dig beyond the surface to examine what possesses a human to use a gun (or any other object for that mater) to commit these heinous acts of violence. 

I grew up in the 70's and 80's. And although there might have been a few, I honestly don't remember any school shootings. And back then, the gun control laws weren't as strict as they are now. So, why the dramatic increase in gun violence now?

It's quite evident that today's society has become almost numb to the random violence that's plaguing this country. On any night of the week, my local news cast usually spends the entire first segment reporting on the current episodes of mayhem in the area. What used to seem outrageous now seems routine. It's truly sad...

We can't ignore the impact that social media has had on today's youth. We all did embarrassing things as kids. Yeah, some of your friends might have witnessed it and you got ribbed for a little while. But eventually, people forgot about it. Today, everyone immediately pulls out their cell phones and records the moment. And then they upload it for an eternal life in cyberspace. You now face humiliation from people all over the globe.

This leads right into cyber-bullying. Look, we all grew up with bullies. It was never pleasant but at least you were usually only dealing with one bully. In the best cases, someone came along and chopped the bully down to size and then life was good again. But it doesn't work that way in the cyberworld. Let's say a kid comes from a really poor household and wears raggedy hand-me-down clothes because his parents can't afford new ones. Some entitled asshole can now take a photo and post it on Facebook or Snapchat which opens up the floodgates on the poor kid. 

The news media itself is huge part of the problem too. They are in business to attract viewers and boost ratings. Fanning the flames of divisiveness has proven to be a great way of achieving these goals. The media pits us against one another continuously. 

And we certainly can not overlook the abundance of bad or absent parenting. Too many kids today are either too entitled and severely neglected. How many times have you heard of a 10-year-old being shot in the street at two in the morning? The question that immediately comes to mind is, "Why is this kid out on the streets at 2 am?? Where in the hell are the parents?"

And on the flip side, you have the entitled kids who have no idea of how to cope with anything. They have never learned about responsibility or real life. When they enter their late teens and reality starts to set in, it's too much to handle. So, they often respond by having a mental break down. Sometimes, it's self-destructive. Other times, too many times, they lash out at others.

With all of this being said, there is never any excuse for opening fire on a group of innocent people. Especially a group of innocent children. If anyone feels that they're reaching that breaking point, I really hope that they would seek the support and guidance that they need. And we as a society can definitely do a better job. Maybe we can be a little nicer. Maybe can help someone up instead of kicking them when they're down.

I am not a great public speaker and I'm certainly no phycologist, but I do talk to random people everyday. And I hear all kinds of stories. I've laughed with people and I've cried with people. You never know what a person might be going through until you open up a dialogue. I truly believe that a few words of encouragement can make someone's day. And who knows? It might even save their life. Or many others...

My heart goes out to the people of Uvalde. May you find the strength to carry you on to a better day...

kw

Traffic Jam Jimmy - A Baltimore Icon

Every morning pretty much starts off the same way for me. After a quick shower, I complete my wake-up routine by sipping on a cup of coffee while catching up on the latest news via WBFF Fox 45. Aside from the news and provocative investigation projects, I always liked the chemistry of the news team. Right in the middle of it was their beloved traffic reporter, James "Traffic Jam Jimmy" Uhrin.

Jimmy was a long time employee of Fox 45, beginning his career there in 1974. One of his most iconic roles was playing "Mondy - The Sea Monster". Anyone who grew up in Baltimore knows that Mondy was the trusty sidekick of the legendary Captain Chesapeake. I have so many great memories of rushing home after school to catch the beginning of Captain C's show. 

Jimmy eventually moved onto other things, ultimately landing his role as Baltimore's most adored traffic reporter. With his unmistakable "Bal-mer" accent, he brought us the latest traffic updates sprinkled with his unique brand of humor. He had a natural connection with the audience. It was like you were spending time with an old friend.

Jimmy was a fixture in the community. With his fluffy white beard and jolly demeaner, he was a natural to play Santa Claus. Every holiday season, Jimmy would don his Santa suit and then head out to local hospitals to deliver Christmas gifts to sick children. This exemplified who he was...

It's only fitting that it's been a cold, rainy weekend as we learned yesterday that Baltimore's beloved Traffic Jam Jimmy passed away at the age of 65. This is a tremendous blow to the whole community. I watched his co-workers struggle to get through the newscasts this morning. It was heartbreaking because you could feel the pain of their loss. The love that that they had for Jimmy was fully evident. And from the outpouring of comments on social media, it's obvious that the entire Baltimore feels the same.

There are certain people who can light up a room. And Jimmy Uhrin was certainly one of those people. I never personally met him but I feel like he was an old buddy. His charismatic personality reached way beyond the TV screen. On a recent interview, I saw where Jimmy said that he was honored because someone once told him, "You know, Jimmy, you remind me of Captain Chesapeake." There's no doubt that Captain C would have been proud of the way Jimmy carried on his legacy.

My morning coffee won't be the same without Jimmy's traffic report and comforting banter. I'd like to thank him for all of the smiles over the years. He was one of a kind and will be sorely missed by so many. My deepest condolences go out to his family and co-workers. He will never be forgotten...

kw