This Has To Stop!

It's another day, and sadly it's another mass shooting. This time at least 14 people are dead in California. I'm saddened by more loss of life but I'm also finding myself getting more and more desensitized.

There has been more mass shootings this year than we've had days. Too much violence, too much death, and a lot of these shootings aren't caused by people who seem to be terrorists. But instead lots of white men who have a variety of issues.

I want to be outraged when something like this happens, but it is just happening too much that it just feels like a deadened weight is pulling me down. Something must be done.

While many gun advocates are quick to say that guns don't kill people, but people kill people, the guns sure help up the death count. So yeah, I'm in favor of taking guns, at least the semi-automatic ones, away from people.

I've honestly never been a fan of guns, but being from Michigan, I have no issues with rifles for hunting. But mass shootings, for the most part, aren't caused by rifles or pistols. And other people having guns doesn't seem to be stopping this madness.

As a mom and a wife, and a human being on this planet, I wish there was something I can do. Beyond voting for people who won't make things worse and possibly be able to reign in the bloodshed there isn't much I can do.

My hearts are with the victims and their families tonight.

The Most Terrifying First Day of School

There have been a few times in my life that I've been utterly terrified. The time when I nearly was plowed into by a semi during a snow storm or the time a fair ride tried to kill me and my mom. But on Monday, I experienced the worst terror I've ever experienced.

Monday was Emily's first day of 1st grade. Since Monday's are my normal day off, both Todd and I took her to school. Usually Todd is the one who will drop her off. Because I work until 3:30 the other days of the week, Emily has to ride the bus home.

I got to the bus stop - which is one house down from ours - pretty early. The bus was late because the main road to our neighborhood was closed thanks to a power line being down. I waited, and all the kids got off the bus - but no Emily.

I talked to the bus driver, and he hadn't seen her, so he called the dispatch and the school. She was missing for what seemed like forever. I got in my car, and headed to the school because they said they would route whatever bus she was on back to the school.

They did call to say they found her while I was on the way to the school. I panic attacked my way to the school - it was probably ten minutes before Emily and the bus driver walked through the doors.

She was crying when she came through the doors, and I was crying. I hugged her so tight, and ended up getting her a Happy Meal for supper because I was already hurting thanks to all the crying and anxiety.

Because of our McDonald's trip and the detour around the downed power line, Emily finally got home two hours after she should have gotten off the bus. She calmed down pretty fast once home, it took me a bit longer.

Yesterday, I felt anxious as it came time for the bus to drop her off, but she had been put on the right bus. But she came off the bus where she was suppose to be. She was very happy about that.

Hopefully this will be the last time for a while that my kid is lost. I don't want to feel that fear again.

September 11 Memories

Image: http://heatherlcorner.blogspot.com/

I was looking around both this blog and my old one, and I apparently have never blogged about my September 11th memories. Either that or my searches have failed me. Either way, here's a short post about my experiences on that day 13 years ago.

I was in my last year of college, living with a couple of friends. That morning I hadn't been online because I had been playing a video game in my room because I didn't need to go to school until later.

One of my roommates came up to my open door and told me that something had happened in New York. We turned on the TV and watched the 2nd tower fall. Our apartment was a bit of a gathering place of our friends and that day it become crowded. Crowded but quiet because we were all in shock.

I called my mom, because that's what you do when a national tragedy is unfolding before your eyes on CNN. And she told me that I should go fill up my car with gas. I went out by myself and it was eerie. No-one was out except at the gas stations which were all packed.

After waiting to get gas, I headed back to my apartment and still watched the TV. I ended up going back out with some friends to get gas in their car, and it was still eerie but less so because I was with other people.

September 11th defined my generation and changed the world. 13 years ago, that whole week sucked. Later that week, my grandmother passed away. So my personal grief was mingled with the national grief as it was.

I'll never forget that September day as long as I live. It was horrible, in part because we watched it happen on TV.