Some children, whose parents were shut down or abusive, manage to stay connected with their core Selves through contact with animals such as dogs or horses, while others stay connected through contact with relatives or friends with whom they identify. But many young children just disconnect to survive. When in this disconnected state, if they watch violence on TV or practice violence through video games, they may further train themselves to numb out against compassion, empathy, and pain of harming others.

Likewise, if children grow up with no personal connection with a source of spiritual guidance, they may not know that we are all one, and they may not consider possibility that consequences of their actions may follow them into their lives after death.

Without connection with their core Self and their spiritual guidance, they are left with only their wounded selves. If they happen to be operating from an enraged wounded self, this self can certainly act out in angry and violent ways. With no loving inner Adult to set limits, harm to themselves or others can be disastrous, as we have seen.

While limiting guns is certainly a good thing to do, it will not stop violence. This violence will not stop until we no longer need to learn, as very young children, to barricade our hearts. As parents and teachers we need to be practicing a healing process such as Inner Bonding so that we can reclaim our core Selves and our deep connection with God. Only by doing our own inner work will we be able to be loving role models that our children need. The change in our society must come from within each of us.

Be Tourists For A Day Most of us live near attractions that people travel miles to see and we've never taken time to visit them ourselves. Historical monuments, zoos and state parks are just a few of possibilities and great places to meet. These attractions offer plenty of things to talk about in case of a lull in conversation and you can even pick up a souvenier of a memorable first date.

Visit A Museum Art, Natural History, Model Trains, pick a subject and chances are there's a museum dedicated to it. If you and your date have a common interest (or both of you want to see something new), visit a museum together and enjoy exhibits. Many museums also offer special shows, presentations and lectures that can provide a unique first date experience.

Go Fly A Kite It's just as much fun as you remember it was when you were a kid and if you pick a good windy place like beach or lakefront, it can be an adventure for you and your date to share. Whether store-bought, homemade or assembled from a kit, kite flying is a great way to spend an afternoon together.

A Bit Of The Grape Wine tastings are hosted in almost every geographic area and can be a fun (and decidedly upscale) first date experience. You can find updated calendars of these events for your city (complete with cost information) at LocalWineEvents.com.