I opened my computer today (9-29-25) to read about a church shooting in Michigan. The article said, “So far this year, there have been 324 mass shootings in the US, defined by the Gun Violence Archive as when at least four people are shot.” Today is number 272 in our calendar year, and although I’m not a math guru, I can subtract, and we’ve had 52 more mass shootings than America had days in 2025.

My mind flashed back to yesterday when I walked into church, thinking of prayer, reverence, and quiet, as did the Michigan congregation.

Speaking for myself, I need to increase my awareness of my surroundings and of people’s appearance and behavior. I don’t fool myself into thinking my family, friends, or I are immune or protected from being the next person killed or wounded while attending events outside my home.

As I write this, I wish I could paint a broad pink stroke across my words, but I can’t. It’s hard for me to accept the violence and the actions and tones that lead to triggers for someone lashing out and choosing to harm others. Many people lack the skills to manage their thoughts, and therefore their emotions and subsequent actions.

Those of us, who are most of us, try to avoid getting sucked into the undercurrent of the hate and noise, but it is challenging, for sure.

I don’t want to write an article about despair, but I do want all of us to be safe and recognize that any of us can find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. If and when that happens, stated simply, I want us to:

Keep our thoughts rational until it’s safe to release our emotions.

Drop to the floor under or behind something.

Yell directives for others to follow suit.

Help those around us.

Listen and follow any directives.

Once in place, stay still and quiet

To offer comprehensive guides on how to recover after such a trauma is a complex topic for another time.

My message today is not to live in la-la land—know that it’s possible to be living the horror, not just reading about it. Just like school lockdown practice, rehearse, if only in your mind, what you need to do.

Then, continue to live. Go where you want and do what you want. Pay attention, be prepared, and then enjoy whatever you’ve chosen. As for me, some mentally ill person might take my life, injure or disable me, but if I let fear prevent me from going to church or a concert, taking a trip, or going to a movie or out to eat, even for one day, shame on me.

The day will come when I can’t.

Until the next time: Live while you live.

Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of “My Clients…My Teachers,” and the blogger and writer of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.

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