I was writing about the mass shooting tour of the US by train you can take … but I didn’t expect to be in a shooting myself. It happened just hours ago in Concord, NC, at the annual tree lighting ceremony. I was so happy to be going after years of missing it, and when we got there, it was more festive and merry than ever, because Union Street has finally reopened after years of construction and re-modeling.
Right in front of the courthouse, a guitar-and-drums band was jamming out on a stage. The lead singer had a red cowboy hat on his head and was having the time of his life, shouting into the microphone. So many people were dancing in front of him. They even had a count-down clock next to him showing the minutes and seconds to when the big Christmas tree was going to be lit. People had on Santa hats with lights embedded right into the white fluff. The line outside the ice cream store was out the door, and the new Mexican restaurant was packed. I’d never seen it so full, and I was so happy for them, thinking how much good business they’d get tonight. On the other side of the street close to the library, they had the Grinch movie on a giant screen and tons of kids were watching, eating popcorn. And a whole new building had just opened, with stores inside it selling popcorn and embroidery kits and cute little girl dresses.
Right in front of the singer with the red cowboy hat, Santa Clause himself and Mrs. Clause were sitting on thrones before the doors of the ornate Old Courthouse, with an elf standing guard, and a long, long line of excited kids waiting for a photo. We had just turned the corner from the Courthouse when shots rang out. They came right from where Santa Clause and the band was. I heard a series of booms, and I thought it was the drum set tumbling over. For a few seconds, people were just looking around, but then, the people closest started running, and then the people who saw them started running, and before long, all of us were running. We ran right through the machine that was blowing “snow” into the air. It was surreal to be running from a shooting while the festive snow meant for the happy occasion settled in our hair.
It had all been so nice and everyone was having such a nice time, and in a flash it was over. Everyone skedaddling and kids crying. I think some kids got separated from their parents. I don’t think anyone knows yet if anyone died or got hurt for sure. I’ve been a little worried about Santa and Mrs. Clause, because neither one looked fit enough to run and get out of the way.
We didn’t even get to light the Christmas tree. And never saw the fireworks they had planned for after the tree lighting. And I’ll bet everyone ran out of the restaurants without having a chance to pay, so the Mexican restaurant and the pizza restaurant and the new shop that sells sandwiches for less than $10 have probably ended up losing money. And there were food trucks that probably had prepared so much food, that’s now going to get thrown out. And there were little kids in pigtails painting gingerbread bear ornaments. All came to a halt. As we were dashing out, there was even a pretty white horse neighing and rearing and upset, who someone was trying to calm down. I feel so bad, too, for all the town employees who worked so hard to put this together, and must have been feeling so much pride as they looked about and saw everyone enjoying themselves, and dancing, and such a great and enthusiastic turn-out. Poof, all the planning and work they put in, all the investment, went out in smoke.
I heard that the little kids in the neighboring schools have spent the last week saying, “Are you going to the tree lighting? Who’s going, raise your hands?!” And all up and down Union Street a lot of the houses have already started displaying their holiday lights and have giant nutcrackers on their porches.
And, I know this is at the bottom of the totem pole, but I was wearing a nice dress and everything, and we hadn’t even had a chance yet to take pictures. I didn’t even get a chance to get a cupcake from the Sweet Life, or hot chocolate from Port and Presser, and probably the Christmas parade tomorrow is canceled.
Talk about a Grinch.
Update: I don’t think anyone was killed, woo-hoo! And the Christmas parade went on as scheduled! Even the tractor reindeer made it!
And though we didn’t get a tree lighting ceremony, the Christmas tree is lit:
mejshasan.com 