Driving Through Sandy Hook on the Third Anniversary of the Tragedy

It was a quiet, warm, and misty morning commute into work today.

Every television and radio station led with something about Sandy Hook this morning. It was inescapable. I noticed all of the flags that I passed were at half-staff. As I drove along River Rd/Glen Road into the Church Hill Road area of Sandy Hook, I noticed well-dressed people standing on the side of the street with camera crews and microphones in their face. I take this route into the radio station nearly every day, but obviously, things felt different.

It's not often that you see a television news crew. The community has politely plead to not be bothered. I completely understand. In the photo above, that is the intersection of Glen Road and Church Hill Road, and that black SUV in the photo just blocked out one of the news crews. (Sorry, my timing kind of stunk.) That's where they were standing, trying to get passersby's opinion about how they feel three years later.

I wasn't asked, nobody put a camera in my face, but, I still feel like I want to express myself as a person who is part of this community. I've seen hundreds of posts from my friends, some of whom were directly affected, over the past few days. Never forget was a common theme. I will never forget.

I've never opened my mind about this subject before. What could I offer that hasn't already been said? It was, and is, an enormous tragedy. Since that day, I've met, through various radio station events, people directly involved. People you drive past on Rt. 25, people you shop with in Caraluzzi's, people that sit next to you in Chip's in Southbury, or seated next to you at the Ridgefield Playhouse. People you would never know had suffered such a profound loss.

And on a warm, misty December morning, these same people now have to see a camera crew standing on the side of their quiet street.

I don't have any questions for you, I don't need to ask how you feel. I'm sure you feel the same way that I did this morning as I drove through the area. Empty. Puzzled. Why did it happen?

The Christmas decorations and wreaths on the side of the road looked the same this morning as they did three years ago. Beautiful in the misty air.

I'm thinking about you and yours today. And I'm very sorry for your loss.

Sincerely, Dave

Listen to Large Dave on 95.1 FM, online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.