Peeved at CNN!

Sometime ago, I resolved to stop looking at the news. It was depressing and not only that but i was thinking too much about the reports long after the news broadcast. I was doing well too but the sad reality is that you can never really escape the news....especially when there is so much hype and so much fear that the news reporters instill in us.
Just two days ago, a bridge collapsed in the Mississippi river and almost sixty cars went down in the river below. Some people died and some are still missing. I have a lot of problems with the way how major news stations reported this. Once again, i have to thank CNN for striking the fear of God in me.....Thanks a lot CNN!
First of all, let me say how i managed to watch the news. See, i do well at home. My mom's favorite station is CNN but I know when she is watching the news, i go play with Snowflake outside. He's much more entertaining. However, yesterday, i had to go to the bank. While waiting for a Customer Service Representative (had to wait for an hour!!!!), I saw news clips between advertisements for home equity loans, etc. Major news flash across the screen....."Officials say x000 (x represents a number between 1 and 9) bridges in the US are structurally deficient."
WTF??????!!!!!!!!!
Don't we pay taxes for these things to be fixed? You know, things like levys to prevent major floods, bridges, roads.........Once again, I would really love to know where my tax money goes to.

This morning while taking my mom to work, she was asking me,
my mom: " can you imagine what those people felt or thought of when they were falling in the river?"
me: "no ma. I don't know.'
my mom: " you know if they were calm, they could get out of their seatbelts and maybe paddle up to the surface."
me: "yeah ma, but in florida they tell us all the time how to do that because of the canals."
my mom: "and then if a car was on top of their car in the water....."
me: "i know."
my mom: "and they say that the bridge and them are dangerous...a lot ah them too!"
me: " yeah, but they supposed to have additional support, ma, and this bridge didn't have it."
my mom: "what about the one in key west?? and that one is over the sea!"
me: "that's a new bridge though....."
In my head I added, "i hope." My mom's job is tough....worrying. I like traveling over bridges. It fascinates me.

After, I dropped my mom off, I crossed.....AND HAD TO STOP in traffic under a bridge and i found myself praying and hoping that the blasted bridge didn't fall on my head with the weight of the traffic. I wondered if the bridge was "structurally deficient" and let me tell you, that was a looooooooooooooooong, excruciating 20 seconds of my life! Did CNN do it's job? Hell yes! I was scared. the fearmongering is unbelievable.

In mid July, I left my job at the mall. One week later, I was hired at a job fair for teachers in our county. I will be teaching at a high school in the fall. I am actually really excited that i will be working in my field and teaching kids all that I know in biology. I've learned many techniques on classroom management but what am i thinking about???? Remember Virginia Tech? yeah...... Should I be afraid? I guess not. but should i be cautious? yes....but how much so??? What is a life if it is lived in fear?


While in my teacher training, I drifted off topic and by happenstance, I clicked on the Trinidad Express. Why I did that, I do not know.....I should learn to pay attention in class. Anyway, the front page news carried an article about a mother who lost five of her six children in a car crash in Virginia. All Trinis. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like hearing that news. Later on, the Sunday news reported that the father suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital. The ages ranged from 25-11. A friend who was also traveling with the siblings died. I thought of last year when the four friends died and my parents went to the wake and they walked from one house to the other. And i thought of my friend Darsh, who died on July 13...one day after his 21st birthday. It's been four years.