Shooting at Texas State Fair Sparks: After having a great day at the Texas State Fair, Michele Prouty panicked when something scary happened at the Dallas fairgrounds on a Saturday night.
She said, “It just kind of hit a nerve.”
Prouty, who was from Uvalde, and a friend were enjoying the events at Fair Park in Dallas on that terrible Saturday. They were going to leave, but a sudden accident changed their plans.
“We sat down, we indulged in delectable funnel cakes, and we beheld the enthralling parade, with me diligently documenting the spectacle,” she said.
When there was a sudden chaos, the reel stopped recording. Prouty explained, “There was a stampede of people.” We were lucky to be on the side, which kept us from being crushed.
In the middle of all the chaos, Prouty approached a couple who had stopped and asked them a question. She said, “I asked, ‘What’s going on?'” “They said there is a shooter on the loose.” We were shocked and said, “Oh, my God.”
The Dallas police stated that the shooting, which hurt three people, was an isolated event. You can still feel the dread that was around Prouty, though.
“It just kind of hit a nerve,” she said again. “Our 21 in Uvalde they were the first ones that I thought of.”
When Prouty went to the fair, she saw an altar celebrating the lives of those who died in the Robb Elementary School shooting. The fact that the school is so close to her home in Uvalde makes her feelings even worse.
“I can see Robb Elementary from my front yard and in my backyard,” she pondered.
Like the fairs, people thought of Robb Elementary as a safe place for kids to learn. The illusion was broken by modern life’s steady drumbeat of uncertainty.
Prouty said everyone should always be on guard because anything could happen anywhere. This was a sobering warning of how fragile life is right now.
That night at Fair Park, Prouty had three hours of difficulty getting back to her hotel room. She is thankful for every moment that passes and gives everyone good advice, even though time is warped.
Prouty pleaded earnestly, “Appreciate the fleeting beauty of life, and cherish every day with your family, your friends, and your loved ones.”
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