The gunfire started a few minutes before midnight. Not right outside my door. More like down the street and across the creek. But it was near enough for me to distinguish it from the New Year’s Eve fireworks also bursting nearby and just as distinctive. Forget what they say on TV, that ain’t no car backfiring.
I didn’t feel personally in danger. The chances of a celebratory bullet fired into the air making it into my bedroom are pretty slim. But there was certainly no sleeping until the revelers wore themselves out a couple hours later.
My college sons did a poor job of keeping me updated on their whereabouts over the course of the evening. Typical. While lecturing them the next day (also typical), I played the pity card.
I was worried about you. I heard gun shots and sirens all night.
They laughed. Somehow, after all these years, they seemed to take random gun shots fired in Lake Highlands apartment complexes in stride.
Celebratory gunfire, particularly at New Year’s, is a tradition in many cultures around the world. Some say the noisy commotion drives away evil and misfortune to start the year off right. Unfortunately, the bullets fall back to earth with deadly velocity.
Luckily, Dallas Police report no injuries this year. (They haven’t seen the dark circles under my eyes.)
