K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 99

Missed Birthdays/Anniversaries

Good morning and welcome to Friday Feeling. This month, we’re talking about the military family and how they cope. Today’s discussion will be about special occasions.
Everyone plans to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. It’s how things are done. Reservations are made at favorite restaurants. Kids hint around for months about what cake they want, what kind of ice cream, even if they actually want friends around rather than just family. This is normal that most people don’t understand when a military family will mention the difficulty of scheduling these events.
The first misunderstanding comes when a non-military person hears the event is being scheduled. They’ll assume you’re talking about having the celebration on the birthday or anniversary date.
Uh, no. Can’t do it then. You see, my spouse, who is in (name branch of the military) won’t be back from deployment until several weeks later.
Huh? Is usually the confused response. “Why not do it twice?”
“Because my child wants both parents at their birthday party. Not two parties.”
“Well, just explain.”
Here is where the weary spouse sigh and attempt to explain that this child has never had a party on their birthday. Their military parent has always had the bad luck to be deployed on that date. In fact, their father wasn’t there for the birth, because as everyone knows when baby is coming, baby will come. It’s the only time you can’t ensure their daddy is around, but you’re sure going to do that now, so your child and their father are both happy.
Anniversaries are pretty much the same. Some places require reservations months in advance and if you cancel there could be a charge. But there is this one place you’d love to eat at, except they require reservations months in advance and hate cancellations. You feel like a fool explaining how many times your celebration plans have been overridden by the needs of the military. Even more so when the person stares at you with a lost expression and comments that nobody can interfere with the time you’re not at work and you should sue or something like that.
First of all, suing the military for missing a birthday or anniversary celebration won’t, as a former judge friend of mine would say, pass the smile test. It’s a no go from before the wet behind the ears lawyer you hired got the paperwork filed—and this was the only attorney you spoke with that didn’t laugh before hanging up.
Not being available for family events tends to put a lot of stress on a military marriage. But it’s a fact of life. We are a G.I.—government issued—and therefore part of the organization we joined twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. While we’d love to be there for all special occasions, we must some when duty calls.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email 

The Military Wife

Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. Today, we’re talking about the military wife. Yes, I was an active duty member of the military, but after my discharge I became a military spouse for a couple of years. This experience really opened my eyes about what these people endure.
Nothing really prepares you for the position of military spouse. You can hear all the explanations. You can observe from afar what these people go through, but until you’ve gone through the experience yourself, you really don’t know the double duty these people pull.
Next up, after you get the kids off to school or day care is looking for a civilian job. Now, there are a lot of skills you learn in the military but many of them don’t translate into a civilian job. Seriously.
Being awakened at oh-dark-thirty, dressing, shaving (if necessary), bundling the kids to the neighbor’s house, and being at your duty station during a recall in less than thirty minutes is a huge bonus to any employer. It means you’ll be there ready to work in no time flat if there’s an emergency…
Nope. They prefer you to arrive ready to work but not so fast. Seems the civilian world doesn’t have a stopwatch going once you’re called.
The ability to work multiple projects while supervising twenty to thirty people and ensuring the job is done right. Okay, that translates but screaming at your underlings when they don’t move fast enough to suit you isn’t allowed.
Some people like to take the fun out of everything.
My biggest hurdle came when I attempted to apply for jobs in the field I’d done for eleven years, and done rather well. Turns out you can’t be a statistical analyst until after you go to college and get a piece of paper that says you’ve been educated. Here I thought calculating the mean time between failures on a jet engine in seconds was a real winner.
Nope. Gotta get that piece of paper.
The reality of being a military wife for me was looking for jobs and maintaining the household while my husband finished out his time until he retired. It took me months to find a permanent job, but I did find some temp jobs during that time. The unemployment benefit was nice, as long as it lasted, but bringing in money equal to or a bit more than my military paycheck was a hard thing to accomplish.
On top of all this, I now had obligations to be beside my husband for certain events. This ate into the time I needed to care for the family and house. Yet, I did this, with a smile on my face, even if I was internally grousing about how I’d never catch up on anything.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Deployments

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. This month is all about the military and their families, how they prepare for an absence and what their lives are like with a vital part of the family gone.
For most military families, if there isn’t a necessity for their service member to be gone, their lives are very close to what many people think of as normal. They get up every day. The military member reports for duty on the base. Their spouse will prepare the children for their day before going to work or dealing with the home. This normal routine in no way prepares the family for the moment when orders come down for deployment.
At that moment, all plans fly out the window. If there’s enough time, the family will celebrate special occasions early or take trips to local venues to have some serious fun before the waiting period of “when does Mommy or Daddy come home?” starts. Younger children do receive a bit more attention to than the older ones. Teens seem to understand or fail to voice the inner child screaming, “I want my mom or dad to stay with me.”
On the day of the deployment, the morning starts off quasi-normally. The duffel bag near the door and the family dropping off the military member at the assembly point are different, but the rest of their day progresses on the usual schedule. It’s only at dinner time when that person is missed and it sinks in with the kids that Dad or Mom isn’t going to be around for a while.
The remaining parent has a huge job ahead. They are now both parents and if they work at a job outside the home that can be difficult. Yet, they manage, with a little help from their neighbors on base or in their neighborhood. This individual will often hide their own feelings until the kids are asleep and then give in to the shakes, tears, or connect with others like themselves through online support groups.
These families look forward to the future, when their missing parent returns home. The happiness of the reunion is sometimes overshadowed with thoughts of when will this happen again. But overall, these families develop a tough outer skin and rarely let the world see the fear they live with. Although, at home, there are a lot of talks, tears, and fears exposed that have to be dealt with.
The military family is much like every other family in the world. The only difference is they realize from an early age that they’re going to have to endure the pain of separation in order for others to feel safe.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle. 
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Overcoming Losses

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Today, we’ll be discussing overcoming a huge loss. To have someone you care about die is probably the hardest thing most people endure. For that person to have been new to your life, without a chance to see if the attraction is real or not, makes things much worse.
Cat meets Steve in a military club while both are there on temporary duty. His non-pushy behavior and easy camaraderie gives her the feeling they might have a chance as a couple. But he has to leave and she must report for duty soon. They say their goodbyes, never knowing they’re awesome beginning is all there’ll be to their relationship.

At Home Christmas eBook on Amazon
At Home Christmas print book on Amazon

Blurb
Christmas with the family. An ideal, sweet homecoming... Or the torturous reminder that family can be your worst enemy.
Cat Helmstead suffers a grievous loss while on temporary duty in Spain with the Air Force. Her heart shatters and she sinks into a grief so profound that she’s ready to join the man she loved so much. Until she’s sent home, to spend the holidays with her family and makes several important discoveries that will change her future forever.
Can Cat move on from losing the only guy she's ever been attracted to?

Excerpt
The come-on was better than I’d expected. I took stock of this Steven Marsters. He was a little over six foot with the regulation high and tight cut required of all men in the military. His fatigues were rumpled and grease spotted. After he kicked his legs out to the side, crossing the ankles, I noticed his boots were a bit scuffed. What intrigued me most was that he was part of the crew of the C-130 that had landed an hour or so earlier.
“Catrina Helmstead, board controller in the MOCC currently. Most of the time I’m a tire kicker with the 10th AMU at Hahn,” I said, referring to Maintenance Operations Command and Control, a fancy name for the claustrophobic room where we monitored maintenance and flight operations. My real job was that of aircraft crew chief, and I did a lot more than kick tires. “How long are you at ZAB?”
The military lingo rolled easily off my tongue. One thing I’d learned early on was that I had to be one of the guys, or I’d be teased relentlessly about breaking a fingernail or crying if I got grease on my uniform.
“We’ll launch at oh-dark-thirty,” he said. “Have to get more F-16 parts to Incirlik. I guess the jets there aren’t as well maintained as these are.”


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Notifications Part 1

 


Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. This month, our theme is military novels. We’re talking about service to our country and the ultimate price some pay today. All of the stories are fictional but in some ways they will seem very real to some readers. As a military veteran married to another veteran, I know the pain and anguish suffered by those left behind. My heart goes out to every family experiencing this pain.
He sits in front of their computer. A call is due soon. His wife answered a call in her heart, to serve their country. This man, with their three small children, live in base housing, awaiting her return from a deployment. Once a month, they have the joyous moments to speak with her, for the kids to reconnect with their mother and for him to spend several precious moments with his wife, their hands pressing screens that somehow seem to overcome all odds until he can feel the warmth radiating from her skin.
“Is it time yet, Daddy?” their oldest asks—a sturdy lad of seven. “Is it time for Mommy?”
“Soon.” Daddy’s gaze moves to the clock and he notices it’s past time.
He’s not worried though. Not too much. She’s been later before, sometimes due to the duty she volunteered for and other times because of connection problems. They’ll wait, like they always do, so they can talk about normal things… second grade for their boy, Tom, kindergarten for their daughter, Lily, and precious moments recorded on a cell phone in pictures of their baby, Irwin, as he races toward his second birthday.
The sound of a car door closing outside has the dad glancing through a window. It’s an official vehicle from the base commander’s office. With dread in his heart, he leaves Tom in charge of his siblings and walks with a heavy heart to the door. Part of him already knows, the sense of panic that awoke him at two this morning makes sense now. Yet, he must still remain strong and hope for the best.
The knock, when it comes, causes him to shake. He turns the knob. Two men stand there.
“Mr. James?” one of them asks. “Husband of Ella James?”
He nods. “How bad?”
Their sympathetic expressions don’t make his fear abate. Everyone on the base knows these men have had to make this call many times in the past few years. The War on Terrorism just goes on and on.
“We’re sorry to inform you that your wife, Sgt. Ella James, was killed late last night by an IED.”
The official notification pierces through the hope he’d held onto so hard. A single tear runs down his face. Behind him, he can hear the children running toward him.
“Daddy.” Irwin pulls at his hand. “Where Mommy?”
Dropping to a knee, he gathers his children to his chest. Their little hearts will break soon enough. For this moment, until he can be alone and explain in a way that will cause them the least hurt possible, he’ll let them believe for just a little longer that their mother is still alive.
“She can’t call us today,” he says, sticking to the truth as much as he can. “We’ll have to wait for another time.”
“Sir.” One of the officer’s crouches down. “If you need some time, we can be with the children for you.”
“Thank you,” he says, “but I can handle this.”
He remains in that position, watching them returning to their car and driving off. All around their housing unit, others come outside. The men and women stare at him—with some relief and a great deal of anguish. It’s his turn today, but tomorrow it might be one of them. He knows this, because he’s experienced the same moments in the past, when other husbands or wives had these same visitors.
With one hand, he closes the door and takes his children to the sofa. The baby on his lap, his daughter cuddled on one side and his oldest boy on the other, this little family learns the tragic news that Mommy is never coming home.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Overcoming an Abusive Relationship

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Today, we’re going to be talking about how to overcome abusive relationships.
The military is an intense duty for all who join. During war time, the focus is on being on the front lines and staying alive. During peace time, the focus is preparing for war. It’s a powerful and extreme time for anyone who serves. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the concentrated training and breaking down of the individual in order to create a cohesive unit, it’s too easy for a person to become abusive, and for them to take out their frustrations on their spouse. While there are many avenues for the military spouse, or even an active duty military member married to another active duty military member, to seek out help in overcoming this problem, far too many people connected with the armed services don’t seek out these groups. The simple reason for enduring abuse is that they don’t want to get the other person in trouble, even though they’ve been approached quietly and urged to request help.
Such is the case for Riona Sanders in Fröliche Weihnachten/Merry Christmas. A woman who has endured a lifetime of put downs from her family, she continues the tradition of remaining quiet about the physical and mental abuse her spouse puts on her, even while moving up quickly in her military specialty. Does she have a chance to find a better life after an accident leaves her a widow with four small children?


Fröhliche Weihnachten/Merry Christmas eBook on Amazon
Fröhliche Weihnachten/Merry Christmas print book on Amazon
Blurb
Riona’s life of self-doubt stranded her in an abusive marriage with four small children to raise. Her children and a successful career in the Air Force made her life bearable. She needed out—and Fate handed her a way.
Once, when she was younger, there was a man she thought good until he stood her up. She had no way of knowing that he had endured a bad marriage and a bitter divorce, leaving a teenaged daughter in the middle. He had never forgotten Riona.
Both their hearts were hurting. Fate would help them heal.


Excerpt
Hank Sanders sauntered through his house. Stubble on his chin gave him a good feeling when he rubbed it with his right hand. A cigarette dangled from the fingers of the left hand, the long ash tip scattering across what had been a pristine tile floor until that moment. Given that he wouldn’t stick around those stupid holy rollers any longer than he had to, he wore a pair of jeans that had worn nearly to the point of being obscene in certain areas. A checked flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves exposed the new tattoo he’d had done when he and some buds spent Halloween night in Landstuhl. Although it was not strictly within the damn codes the Air Force made everyone live by, he’d covered his, a growling bulldog with a spiked collar. Normally, his shirtsleeves were fastened tightly around his thick wrists, concealing what he knew could cause him issues with his uptight commander, a prick of a captain who was trying to get an assignment to the Pentagon.
Jerk won’t go anywhere except Turkey once I get my plan in motion.
Always one with a plan, never a person to let someone do better than he could, Hank had already contacted a buddy who swore he was getting that coveted Pentagon assignment. That friend had assured him that the captain in question would find himself at Incirlik, a base often referred to as “The Lick” and be stuck there until he resigned his commission.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Moving Forward

Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
All month, we’ve talked about school violence. This is a problem that isn’t going away any time soon. That’s a bit sad, but there are so many things that have to happen before it’s solved that a fast resolution will never last. It’s also sad that in these modern times, teens have to deal with these issues. However, there is no need to look over your shoulder or constantly expect the problem to happen in your school.  
I can hear the snorts of disbelief. It’s true. You don’t have to live in fear, if you can handle a few simple precautions.
If you can be sensible, if you can be an active part of the world around you instead of being caught in the fantasy world of social media, you can subconsciously be aware of everything going on around you.
You are the master of your world. Sure, you have parents who will interrupt your plans with their wants and desires. Yes, your teachers will expect you to participate in class, but you are still the person responsible for your own happiness and the world you want around you.
Being a teenager now is no harder or easier than being a teen during any other decade or century. Believe it or not, most of the problems you face now, your teenage counterparts in other times endured. To be honest, if you were able to connect with your great-great-great-great grandparents, they’d wonder why you’re still lazing about in school. See, during the nineteenth century, teens were generally finished with school by the eighth grade. Their presence was often necessary to help feed the family and take care of the home. If you’d been born prior to the nineteenth century, odds are that most of you wouldn’t have gone to school at all.
Okay, you can stop demanding a time travel machine. Believe me, you would not want to live in those times. The clothing was horrible and there are no smart phones, internet, or social media. Kind of sucks, but that’s how it was.
So, remember this. No matter if you have or haven’t experienced school violence, you are still very lucky to live in this time. You are learning so much about the whole world with a first hand perspective. You’re meeting people you’d never have the chance to have met, even as much as twenty years ago. But you still have to take precautions…
Be strong…
Be aware…
Be wary…
And most of all, don’t be afraid to ask for help!


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Can We Stop the Violence?

Good morning and welcome to Friday Feelings. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
Can we stop the violence?
So many people have been asking that question for at least two centuries. School violence isn’t a new problem. Until the advent of radio and television, it often took months for news to reach other communities about incidents of school violence. Before that time, many people never learned about the problems. Ever.
Yet, we do have the solution right in front of us, if people are willing to listen. Unfortunately, at this point, people are only interested in expressing their own viewpoints and screaming that the other guy is wrong.
What is the solution? you ask.
It’s a complicated one but begins with keeping the news media away from the scene of school violence. Yes, there is such a thing as freedom of the press, but that doesn’t mean they have access to an active crime scene. In fact, they can be arrested for interfering with an investigation if they persist when told to leave.
Over the last decade, reporters have taken to inserting their opinions into a story. They whip up their viewers to a frenzy when reporting on school violence. One station in Tennessee even had parents contacting them during one of these events for information. It was the same information the police chief was giving to parents about where to go. To many people’s horror, those people who did contact this station saw their words being used as sound bites to inflate the sense of danger when in fact the situation was under control and no students were injured while they were being evacuated.
This is why the news media needs to be away from the scene and in an area where they can receive reports of what’s happening. They have no need to be on the scene, showing images of terrorized children being evacuated and speculating on what happened. Their job, their only job, is to report the facts of the matter.
Next, we need everyone involved with teens—parents, teachers, administrators, and law enforcement—to work together to decide on a way to prevent future problems. Students might not like being left out of this, but the people involved here have information and organizational skills that will bring about a resolution that will work for everyone. This can’t be done on the local level, but has to be done nationally.
Finally, the students can help. Yes, I really did include the students. They’re in the schools. They’re seeing what’s happening. But they aren’t speaking up until after the violence has erupted. That has to stop. Students need to speak to a teacher, resource officer, or administrator if they suspect something. A suspicion is just that—information to be investigated and actions to be watched to see if someone needs to step in. Again, this won’t happen instantaneously. It takes time to figure out if someone is just being weird or if they may cause a problem.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph  Email

Listen to Well-Reasoned Arguments

Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
Well-reasoned arguments for and against on the chosen methods to stop school violence have been shoved into the background due to social activism. It’s become the norm to see students protesting and screaming out their invectives rather than sitting down and talking to those who can affect change in a reasonable tone.
This is nothing new. The protests, the screaming, even the profanity. You’re not being original. What you are doing is repeating what occurred during the sixties and early seventies by college students protesting the Vietnam War. While many from that time believe they stopped the war, it was actually done through traditional discussions on neutral ground.
Now that you’re steaming mad at how I’ve seemingly shown you disrespect, let me clarify my position. I have done this before and will continue to do it in the future.
I am not against protesting what you see as wrong, as long as it’s a peaceful protest. When you block people from entering a store because the parent company donated money to the campaign of a candidate you believe doesn’t follow your beliefs, you are not protesting peacefully. You are obstructing people from entering the store or if you’re inside and blocking the aisles, you are trespassing and creating a public nuisance. These are crimes; misdemeanors to be sure, but still a criminal offense that won’t look good on your college application.
But, you scream, nobody listens until I’m yelling and cussing them…
Really? Have you bothered trying that approach or did you just decide that you had to do this in order to be heard?
We are listening—to reporters saying the same thing over and over outside another school caught in the madness of violence. We are listening—to your foul mouthed invectives as you make speeches but offer no solutions except to add more laws to the books already brimming with the exact same laws pushed through after a previous incident. We are listening—when you refuse to answer reasonable questions and instead attack the interviewer and curse them.
Do you know what we’re thinking?
That you have no plans to listen to anyone but yourself. Gets kind of lonely when you can’t have a reasoned discussion with people wanting change but desiring the other side to stop screaming and cursing long enough to hear that. No one wants to see or hear of a school caught up in the grip of a terrifying situation. Our hearts skip many beats once we hear those breaking news chimes. Our first thought are going out to those caught in the situation, until you decide that doing interviews where you degrade anyone against your ideas and refuse to listen.
Adults have long known what it takes to make laws. We were taught that in classes in school. We didn’t have social studies. We had history, geography, current events, government, and civics. We didn’t graduate high school until we passed those courses, in addition to other mandatory courses.
It’s time to stop screaming and cursing. It’s time to learn this is a problem that won’t go away by passing a few new gun control laws and confiscating weapons from legal owners. It’s time for everyone in this country to put aside their prejudices about one side or the other and look for a solution that will lessen this type of activity by examining all elements behind the act and changing what can be done to stop the violence.


About K.C. Sprayberry

Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
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"Safe Cocoon" Myth

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
One of the phrases I hear a lot in regards to school violence is the existence of a “Safe Cocoon.”  This is used by companies and/or people describing a safe place during or after the violent event.  In reality, this is more than likely a myth, a phrase meant to espouse a sense of safety for those caught up in a shooting with no exit from the area.
What you can do to protect yourself is to turn off all notification alert sounds on your phone. Everything. Don’t leave the text on, so you know when someone contacts you. Don’t think you should leave the ringtone activated, in case your parents call. TURN OFF ALL ALERT TONES. That will make the difference if the shooter comes into the room but can’t see you. if they hear you, they will fire in that direction.
Another way to protect yourself is to find a dark corner where you can hide. Push yourself in deep. Quietly turn over desks and huddle behind them. Resist the urge to peek around a corner if a door opens.
Here’s the really hard part of finding yourself a safe place. You have to shove your fear into a far corner of your mind. Most adults can’t do this, but if you focus on survival rather than just hiding, you can release the fear and let calm take over. Being calm will help you think clearly and give you the strength to survive.
If you hear a strange sound, don’t gasp or ask who’s there. Shove a fist into your mouth if necessary, but never make a single sound, especially if someone has just come into the room. Even when that person leaves, don’t get up to check. Wait for the police to arrive.
How do you know it’s an officer and not the shooter?
First of all, adult voices, especially those of first responders, will have a different tone than that of a teenager wanting to hurt as many people as possible. You’ll feel somewhat safe, not scared out of your mind. If you don’t think the person is someone you can trust, remain still. But if you’re certain they’re someone who can help you get out, follow their orders and come out slowly. Or use some kind of a mirror to check and see if the person is wearing the uniform of local law enforcement.
Once you’re outside the building, keep following the directions of the police. Don’t run and scream. Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself. Simply walk toward where they’re directing you.These are common sense moves one can do to create their own “Safe Cocoon.” Even though you’re a teenager, you can do this. Just believe in yourself.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.                                                             A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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