Cloud is over town & not just the rain clouds...
Angels also hover over town - no, they are not just in the heavens...
Heartache of a whole town is here & not just in one family, one body...
Mom Alert, I am so feeling like I'm on this physically--it brings tears to my eyes & makes me have odd dreams...
Because...
A Universal Sister, Daughter, Girl-friend is missing & there's a gap that just won't be filled until she's brought home & soon...
Three weeks & counting this weekend...
And yet everyday the volunteers start off with "Today is the Day!"
I'm telling you this brings "Keeping the Faith" to the forefront
(with a whistle & pompom's!)
But through this all the Hope & Love is here - or it's being beamed here - by way of Social Media
The Power of Social Media through this & through all these young people is Awesome!
Which I am not one to throw around that word--awesome either, like 'like' - that's a whole other misuse of a word (am thinking Facebook has something to do with that...)
So many other Blog Posts have maybe said this all better, but as they tell us all to Blog, Post, Repost I started thinking maybe I should do this--it is Lafayette & it is in a way also Raining...
Raining Hope & Love down from here in town & beyond, way beyond...
My List of What's Happened Here in Lafayette over the last 3 weeks:
Day after Mickey Shunick went missing people were on Facebook (probably on other Social Media or texting on cell phones too) asking questions, passing it around that she didn't ride her bike home after leaving a friend's house that night...
On my way out of town for a weekend in NOLA (aka New Orleans) I thought she'd just went over to other friends or new friends & slept over & probably as it was only mid-day the next day was either over sleeping or had her cell phone turned off or the battery needed recharging...
So I went off with a light heart, enjoyed my weekend & returned to hear more & more absolutes that this local college girl on her bike had disappeared (sigh...) I so need to make a 'sad puppy' face here if I only knew how :o(
Fascinated I watched the Social Media comments & then it crept under my skin & hasn't left--this feeling that someone in my family/my community is missing & I have 'got' to do something about it comes the next reaction...
Went nuts with reposting for days until my husband told me he was going to Block me on Facebook as if a Spammer if I didn't stop--OK, I 'was' freaking out I know it...so I backed off & put up the link to the FindMickeyShunickNow Facebook page & proceeded to run over to Twitter & 'freak out' over there instead?!
All the posters started going up 'all' over town & still are - they are in fact going all over even further out, stateside & people in foreign countries are watching the Facebook page (it continues to amaze...)with the Reward amount changing from $10,000 to 20,000 to finally 25,000 to just Reward - there was some concern the criminals may wait it out to see how far it would go, like Lotto (so there's a Cap now & the fundraising money is going to either family efforts or survival while their whole life stops for this one focus to find their daughter/sister/neice/cousin/godchild...or into a charity fund to help pay overtime to police & such--or that's what I heard, have to admit I did not go to that particular charity webpage to find out...)
There was within days an evening Candlelight Vigil - I bought white candles from the CVC Pharmacy & drove downtown to Parc Sans Souci with a lot of other folks to light candles & come together, with the family/friends/organizers/church leaders/Media up on the park stage telling everyone there thank you & probably a Wow or two thrown in, some details of what was going on so far & introduced who everyone was, a few talked about Mickey (as we of course couldn't all know her personally) & that there were T-shirts now, as they were all wearing them up on stage...
And of all the National attention going on, that that night GMA was suppose to come interview the family/representatives...but of course there was praying in Parc Sans Souci too, by 2 different church leaders or was it 3 - it was overwhelming, the breezes were also overwhelming & many of us had troubles keeping our candles lit, in the end my brown shirt had streaks of white wax down the front (but I was not concerned--my kids/grandkids were safe, though my kids are in the military...still I am less worried over them than I am of this poor beautiful missing girl... another sigh...)
Singing started (by a lovely tall blonde girl with a very high pitched voice that I find out later is with the band that will sing at the Benefit Concert...) All You Need is Love, Love is All You Need...Love, Love, Love... that's when I knew there was nothing like this #LoveofCommunity & it continues non-stop day after day here in Lafayette, LA - Blows me away?!
Next day fabulous photos were put up on media of the candles from above, looking down from the next door parking lot roof level & also at ground level looking across those sitting cross legged with candles in their hands, reflecting light on their faces...
Followed by the next weekend, only a week after Mickey went missing a Benefit Concert - I don't know how anyone could organize such a thing, under stress, in less than a week (but amazing things have been happening in Lafayette & continue to do so...)
But they did plan/organize/put on a Benefit Concert - 2 bands donated their time, there were Missing T-shirts, to help get the word out/to show support/to help with the fundraising, there was a Silent Auction item, there was a very expensive guitar with lessons being raffled off, there was an information booth with flyers, there was food/drinks - the vegan bakery (BiBi's) was there with their baked goods next to a chocolate chip cookie cake that said Bring Mickey Shunick Home (or I think it said that--I tend to avoid such food items & look the other way, out of self defense...)
There were police officers who donated their time to come help, someone said from the stage...
I told the one policeman by the tree inside Parc International (as Parc Sans Souci was too small for such a big thing as this...) Thank You...
He was so humble & honestly taken by his community that he said it brought tingles to his arms - these folks in this town are definitely charged/charged up & most especially these young people who's friend or classmate or neighbor or just hometown girl or bike riding one to boot is missing & everyone wants her home & now...
Vagabond Swing & The Givers were the bands, who both played for free to the full audience inside Parc International in downtown Lafayette, there were even beach balls floating up & down at the front of the stage - there needed to be lightness & hope & love, which there was an abundance of & still is...
Because they were so kind--their webpage links...
Vagabond Swing:
http://hoplitemusic.com/vagabond-swing/
Givers:
http://giversband.com/
What amazed me in what you might think a small way (or small minded way, but it isn't) was how affected town was so that outside the fenced in Parc International - a cement park with sidewalk, trees, front & back gates, stage, concessions, etc going on inside was that Parking was Free outside...
Now to some that might be a petty thing or a small thing, but I've seen during every event going on downtown - no matter 'free' Mardi Gras or 'free' International Festival or 'free' DTA--Parking has never been free...so for these greedy so & so's to make parking Free was just Fabulous & so Fitting & added to the LoveofCommunity that just keeps going on & on all over town...
A bank account was set up for all these funds being raised or for those that couldn't do otherwise make a donation to help in all the family's efforts to bring their dear one home - it's a small local bank & I'm sure it started getting hard to keep track of everything - already besides the Reward posted there was a Private Investigator on hire along with the Police & soon I'm sure once a Missing Person then the FBI can be involved...followed by the Search People who would come to town, working also only on donations or volunteers & they helped local search efforts get organized even more - Headquarters for Find Mickey Shunick Now was moved from a house to the UL University Campus larger building to finally the largest Blackham Colliseum...
Went to the Oil Center branch that I didn't even know was there & teller asked if I knew the family: No, but I feel like I do & these young people could be my kids - I didn't notice at first that my hand went to my heart - then I said: It gets me right here & I started to tear up & had to walk out...as I'm sure I probably added: I just want to give them all a big huh?! ox
Before...
After...
After After...
Even after the Candlelight Vigil there was a bike ride/bike search of the path/s that Mickey might have taken home from her friends house, later there would be a Bike Ride to Support the efforts - all this happening during what I think was Bike Month already, of all the times, how sad, for a bike rider to go missing (as there had already been a number of people hit on bikes & killed in or around town - there had just recently been a Silent Bike Ride & a Benefit Bike Ride for one of those lost bike riders & now this...)
Word went out to search your land, check your surveillance vidoes...all over town...then it was released that they'd spotted Mickey on her bike passing an intersection on surveillance videos, so law enforcement could guess better where her path was that night & also some vehicles to track down/to speak with the drivers, as much for more information/more clues than as suspects...
Tweets went up about owning a newer model white truck with the tailgate down in town was going to be like someone from the Middle East walking thru the airport after 911 effect - the intensity of this whole town wanting clues, wanting to find this missing girl...(I found myself looking strangely at big white trucks parked in my neighorhood driveways or turning corners out of my neighborhood as I was driving home after hearing that news--it's a really odd effect on your psyche...)
So much information went out over Social Media, the regular Media - Newspapers, Radio, TV...
Then outside of local started picking up on it, like GMA/Good Morning America wasn't enough - there was Nancy Grace on the case, which I'd never heard of her before & so much media coverage I couldn't keep up...except to watch the Find Mickey Shunick Now Facebook page for links to it all, only there I'd get caught up in reading all the comments, all that love/concern/hope/prayers in those comments, on & on, & all those Ready for Action...
I cannot still believe the Call to Action there was, the Ready for Action--not just the Searches, the 'foot soldiers' as Mickey's sister calls the volunteers I think...If there was a need for something, for meals or water/sports drinks or blank white T-shirts (then colored T-shirts) or gloves or on & on the list could go--there was somebody, more than one somebody "Ready for Action"
I've never seen such a thing & it was good, it felt good--to be able to 'do something' - even if I didn't go on a walking search, my heart lept when there was something to do to help in any small way...
What could be done I tried to do, as one person, as someone who doesn't know the family or the girl - but after a few days, as I knew it would, I found out I knew a family of one of the Social Media organizing young people...then I was sad all over again, then I 'freaked out' a bit more to make sure their family was all OK, if their family needed anything...
Dammit I wanted to HUG every one of them & still do & do so every chance I get - I just want to Hug them all, everyday--hug, Hug, HUG...
I think the whole entire town needs a HUG?! Oh, if only I could--be that crazy lady on the corner with her Find Mickey Shunick Now t-shirt on & face button stuck on it trying to hug everyone that passed by...sigh...
So let's see--one day I ran to Wally Mart & bought a bag of white T-shirts, various sizes, & ran them to the Printers working to print out Missing Mickey Shunick T-shirts, because that way the family would get all the money & not just $5 or some such part...
That's when I got a big beautiful button with Mickey's smiling beautiful face on it - from the color photo that had been used for one of the Missing Posters, at some point there started being lots of photos posted on the Find Mickey Shunick Now Facebook page...so many beautiful friends too - they started making poster type photos from them, they designed a new T-shirt/sticker: Keep Calm and Find Mickey (just like the original UK version of the saying during the World War...)
At some point during all these baby steps at searching--the bike was found, Mickey Shunicks black bike with gold handle bars - the police took it from the two fisherman that found it...I thoroughly believe that it was found due to the Power of Social Media & the Love of Community - Fishermen Rock too! (as my friend & her husband, who fish - as so do a lot of local folks - are very proud of that fact alone, or I think they do...)
Special Gelato at Carpe Diem Gelato & Espresso
Silvia made this twice & dontated to the Shunick family - so I went twice to order it (yummy) & shared - such big hearts our small businesses have, downtown & locally too...
Many thought the searches would stop in town then, but they didn't--they were going to go through with the searches for any other clues, as that was it to date--that bike...
More call outs from volunteer headquarters for Pizza, for ink cartridges for the printers, for flyers being printed at local print shops, for folks with ATV's or boats - I saw an Airboat even in the parking lot of Blackham, there was a photo of a kayak inside the building too later...so I'm guessing as well as 'foot soldiers' coming in to volunteer there was every other means of transportation showing up too & the media/cameras tried to keep up - but Oh how Social Media did better & Better...
As temperatures went up, besides drinks there was a call for cooling bandanas one day - someone commented they had them at Dollar General, so off I went (forget the chores) to buy a bag & double checked the other Dollar Store to find they only had regular bandanas but got some of those too & went to drop that bag off...
My reward, though I didn't need one--was a smile for the day, a ray of sunshine in all that...a sweet little sister (realized later) with her new little puppy, a teacup Chihuahua - I have 2 of them too & have adopted another previously - she was the dearest little creature ever to be in our household...it was great to get to see them (a girl & her dog)
Then I finally got to Hug another Social Media Boy--that friend's son that I didn't know was her son at the beginning of all the Social Media madness...so I was double rewarded for my small efforts, which mattered a hill of beans on their own but the whole town's love & hope focused on this is an overflowing river coming off a mountaintop in comparison...
With that new saying "Keep Calm and Find Mickey" were new bumper stickers & colored T-shirts...I bought/donated for a new bumper sticker to put on a magnet sheet to put on my car to go with the other smaller flyer for the Missing Info & number that I'd done & stuck on my rear car door earlier...
Many folks had been taping the Missing Flyers to their cars, to their windows--I kept thinking surely someone should think of making Magnet Signs...I couldn't stand it & went to donate a bag of Magnet sheets to the volunteers or the Social Media team or whomever the Donations Collection People gave them to - to put some flyers or new stickers on those magnet sheets to put on their cars instead--there were also by then new bumper stickers being seen on some cars bumpers in town, though I never saw them for sale anywhere in town (so much going on, it was hard - still is - to keep up...)
There was a call for those colored T-shirts for the new design, so off I went to Target (in French that would be Tarjay--) for another bag of T-shirts - of course there was a synchronicity sale going on for colored T-shirts so could get more & were more fun/neon/bright colors too...for a cheer, a smile, a positive sign for not just the young people involved but all who see them - more hope & love going out...
The list of local Businesses that have been involved or have stepped up would be impossible for me to list--it keeps going on & on...
Drinks/Water & Food being donated from all over town - so they also made up a Meals Calender...
Chili's did an evening where a percent went to the Find Mickey Shunick Now fundraising...
Walk-on's did an evening also & it looked huge--I went to that one for takeout, which was included in the fundraising & also there were t-shirts for sale or donation & something else new--wrist bands in different plastic colors with Find Mickey Now on them, I bought/donated for 3 of them at first (later at Blackham I would go pick up 6 or 7 of them in various colors to give away to who ever wanted one that I knew or didn't know, no matter...) And left that crowded packed restaurant, again amazed - the buildings marquee sign at not just this restaurant but at many businesses in town say Bring Mickey Home, some with the TipLine phone number on them too...
Butterflies for Mickey - Little Paintbrush Art Studio
The company that does the big electric billboards donated at least 2 I think it was to the family - I can't keep track, Johnston Street is so full of signs or yardsigns or posters & Pinhook Street, where I drive a lot in town...but even in the neighborhoods, down East Bayou, there are signs on posts or trees or stop sign posts--on & on all over town...
For days I would watch the morning/evening news, I would flip through 3 or 4 news stations just to see if there was anything, any news--like the other 'freaking out' Mother on Alert mode effect, I had to stop...
Started back to only checking Social Media to try & keep up - there was a branch off Facebook page now just for Prayers, so many folks not just commenting or trying to help or get information or putting up posters or from other places in the states or the world for that matter--but also comments from people who had missing family members, some found/some not...so much positive hope & love flowing into Social Media/into town--if you doubted the Power of Social Media before, of if I did, no more...
Tears--I will break into tears at the spotting of a Missing Poster with flowered duct tape around it...if I see a bumper sticker on an old car with a young person driving & start to think maybe they knew her/went to school with her/took riding lessons with her/are her neighbor...if I hear a song about Angels on the car radio (& I am 'not' a religious observance type person at all...)
More tears--at small white candles being lit at a vigil...at a beautiful photo of a blonde headed girl on her bike with her arms out at her sides in the wind or standing holding onto a horses reins or picking up a kitten...if I start 'what if-ing' - what if that were my boys missing, what if that were my grandbaby girls missing, what if that was my best friend's girl missing or my neighbor--really it's enough she's in my town - my safe, little, this doesn't happen here, up & coming, progressive, on Top Lists, growing, full of fun/music/arts/food kind of town so that the nation has been noticing...but maybe that has helped this effort in the end too, the end though yet to come, the coming home...
And oh my--the Coming Home will be like no other...I keep thinking someone should send this whole entire family off on a family vacation, if not to Disneyland then off to Hawaii or I don't know where but somewhere...they will need Peace & Quiet & time to heal, because things have changed, they've changed, she's changed - the whole town has changed, but first they need to have their family time & space & that will be so very difficult back in their town...then after thier family time/space the whole town will need to celebrate & heal--I can see Mickey riding on a float at Mardi Gras 2013 for sure, though perhaps right now not a lot of folks are having those kinds of daydreams, but I am...
I write this not to document the event, no blow by blow account, not to say I did this or that, but to remember this intense #LoveofCommunity going on right now in Lafayette, LA, USA <3 ox.... (if I were a lot of years younger I would say: 'Peace out' right about now?!)
~~~ <3 ~~~
Photo Credits...
all photos but the 2 in the park at the Candlelight Vigil are from the Find Mickey Shunick Now webpage -
am hoping they don't mind I borrowed them, some are in thumbnail & could be I did something wrong, but anyone can just go there directly & see them or more as well as on the Facebook page...
2 photos in Parc Sans Souci at the Candlelight Vigil - one is from the local newspaper (Advertiser or Ind, must find that article--until then hopefully someone will forgive me?!) And the other is from a local Creative blogger/writer Aileen Bennett - her blog is
http://creatingclever.com/ (thank you Miss--Be You?!)
Mickey's younger sister Charlene - who looks like her older sister
I love this poster behind, reads: Lafayette Loves Mickey!
photo credit: The Advertiser - Article by Megan Wyatt
(no mention of photographer, then must just be 'staff' photographer)
~~~ <3 ~~~~
Links to everything I know of at this moment in time...
Facebook Page that started it all...
http://www.facebook.com/findmickeynow
Followed by YouTube videos...
http://youtu.be/xTcnWwlKDMY
YouTube Video about the 10 Steps to Help Find Mickey Shunick Now...
http://youtu.be/l-ptWDYIFpQ
Hashtags on Twitter--abound...
#FindMickey #FindMickeyShunickNow #fmn #BringMickeyHome #BringMickeyShunickHome
#LetsFindMickey #lfm #KeepCalmAndFindMickey #HelpMickey #HelpMickeyShunick #Missing #MissinginLouisiana #MissingGirl #MichaelasShunick #MickeyShunick #ktf #HaveYouSeenMe #LostinLafayette #Lost #WeNeedAMiracle #MiraclesAreBuiltOnPrayers #PrayersforMickey #CyclistMissing & whatever else anyone/everyone can make up... (like my #LoveofCommunity)
Tumblr link...
http://findmickeynow.tumblr.com/
Reddit link...
http://www.reddit.com/search?q=mickey+shunick&sort=relevance
And then a Webpage--here you'll find a lot/A Lot of Links to more...
http://findmickeynow.com/ *
Blackham - Find Mickey Shunick Now previous Headquarters
in foreground on fence in red plastic cups, Bring Mickey Home!
in background on wall, Lafayette "Heart" (Loves) Mickey!
*As it says at the bottom of their webpage...
<3 "It's time to bring her home" <3
