Christmas will be here soon, and I have taken out the Christmas DVDs. I have "It's a Wonderful Life," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I started watching them right after I recovered from my Thanksgiving turkey hangover.
"It's a Wonderful Life" is one of my all time favorites. I cry my eyes out every time I watch it, even though I have seen it hundreds of times and I know how it's going to end. There is something magical about Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and the direction of Frank Capra that makes you believe in family, faith, and angels named Clarence getting their wings. It makes me stop and realize that one person does make a difference and touches so many other people, even though they might not think they are anything special, or that they have done anything spectacular in their lives. Lessons that I can carry with me throughout the year.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is one of my favorites, the animated version. I thought the live action version with Jim Carrey was good, but there is something about the voice of Boris Karloff as the narrator and the Grinch, and the animation of Chuck Jones that brings me back to when I was little and watched it on television. Same with "A Charlie Brown Christmas". The speech Linus gives at the end with the children singing at the end, still makes my eyes water, but it shows how the meaning of Christmas can get lost in all of the commericalism.
So, sit with your kids, your friends and family and watch a little bit of Christmas tradition. And don't forget the tissues!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
I love Thanksgiving. I have many reasons to love this holiday, but mainly it gives me the opportunity to thank everyone for everything, all at once. I thank God, my family, my friends, my co-workers, and some of the strangers I have met through the year who I believe to have been "angels in disguise". I was taught this lesson of gratitude over 20 years ago during one of the most difficult times in my life.
I was 18 years old. I had just graduated from high school, my parents were separated and heading for a divorce, my mother was struggling to take care of all of us, and the decision was made to move from Garrison, ND to Minot, ND. More job opportunities, a fresh start, we were hopeful that this would be what we all needed.
When we arrived, we had to find a place to live. Mom found a small apartment. She found two jobs, one at the Little Flower School as a cook, and the other was at K-Mart. I found a job at McDonalds. But even with 3 incomes coming in, we still had a hard time. It was Thanksgiving, and with all of the family drama going on, nobody in Garrison was inviting us for dinner. We were on our own and we didn't have much. A container of Jello and a half gallon of milk with assorted condiments were in the fridge. That was it. We were trying to keep from thinking about it, and getting more depressed about this situation. Not only was I worried, as I'm sure Mom was, about eating for Thanksgiving, but for the rest of the week. Then, there was a knock at the door...
Two ladies carrying big grocery boxes full of food were there to give us what we needed. Food. They were from the church. There was two of everything. Turkeys, canned vegetables, boxes of stuffing, boxes of mashed potatoes, bread, butter, and pies, and of course, the cranberries. Mom had to swallow hard, because pride doesn't go down easy, and she had never taken or needed to take a handout in her adult life, that I could remember. I remember Mom starting to cry and in a shaky voice, she said, "Thank you on behalf of me and my children." We hugged those ladies and Mom and I vowed on that day to try and donate something, ANYTHING, to the food shelves because they had helped us when we needed it the most.
I thank those ladies to this day, whereever they are, for helping me and my family. I'm not Oprah, giving away refrigerators, or building homes for people, but I try to do what I can and give what I can. It might be a few dollars to a friend in need, who is down on their luck. It might be to the Salvation Army in the big red kettles (they are all out now and they need your help this year more than ever). It might be to give a ride to a co-worker that has their car in the shop. Any small Act of Random Kindness is important in the life of someone who has run out of luck and hope. Just do it, and then thank God, the Universe, your Higher Power, for all of the blessings you have received in your life. Here is a small portion of mine:
1. My health.
2. My home, job, family, and friends.
3. My future.
4. My past. Because I can't appreciate anything I have today or tomorrow if I don't appreciate where I've come from.
Make your own list, and then in a grateful voice, say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
To everyone in my life who has helped me get this far, and for those who will be there to help me in the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I was 18 years old. I had just graduated from high school, my parents were separated and heading for a divorce, my mother was struggling to take care of all of us, and the decision was made to move from Garrison, ND to Minot, ND. More job opportunities, a fresh start, we were hopeful that this would be what we all needed.
When we arrived, we had to find a place to live. Mom found a small apartment. She found two jobs, one at the Little Flower School as a cook, and the other was at K-Mart. I found a job at McDonalds. But even with 3 incomes coming in, we still had a hard time. It was Thanksgiving, and with all of the family drama going on, nobody in Garrison was inviting us for dinner. We were on our own and we didn't have much. A container of Jello and a half gallon of milk with assorted condiments were in the fridge. That was it. We were trying to keep from thinking about it, and getting more depressed about this situation. Not only was I worried, as I'm sure Mom was, about eating for Thanksgiving, but for the rest of the week. Then, there was a knock at the door...
Two ladies carrying big grocery boxes full of food were there to give us what we needed. Food. They were from the church. There was two of everything. Turkeys, canned vegetables, boxes of stuffing, boxes of mashed potatoes, bread, butter, and pies, and of course, the cranberries. Mom had to swallow hard, because pride doesn't go down easy, and she had never taken or needed to take a handout in her adult life, that I could remember. I remember Mom starting to cry and in a shaky voice, she said, "Thank you on behalf of me and my children." We hugged those ladies and Mom and I vowed on that day to try and donate something, ANYTHING, to the food shelves because they had helped us when we needed it the most.
I thank those ladies to this day, whereever they are, for helping me and my family. I'm not Oprah, giving away refrigerators, or building homes for people, but I try to do what I can and give what I can. It might be a few dollars to a friend in need, who is down on their luck. It might be to the Salvation Army in the big red kettles (they are all out now and they need your help this year more than ever). It might be to give a ride to a co-worker that has their car in the shop. Any small Act of Random Kindness is important in the life of someone who has run out of luck and hope. Just do it, and then thank God, the Universe, your Higher Power, for all of the blessings you have received in your life. Here is a small portion of mine:
1. My health.
2. My home, job, family, and friends.
3. My future.
4. My past. Because I can't appreciate anything I have today or tomorrow if I don't appreciate where I've come from.
Make your own list, and then in a grateful voice, say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
To everyone in my life who has helped me get this far, and for those who will be there to help me in the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Misfits Unite!
My name is Laura, and I'm a misfit.
Let me explain. I subscribe to a number of online ezines, newsletters, blogs, etc. I am going to be launching my own zine soon, or newsletter, or both, and I needed to research the best and the worst to get a feel for what is being put out there to find my niche. Tonight, the posts I read from John Carlton's Big Damn Blog( http://www.john-carlton.com/ )"The Slippery Truth" and "Misfits In Charge", were like a splash of cold water in the face. Surprising, refreshing, but most importantly, eye opening.
How many of you walk through your life like a zombie? You're here, but your not here. You function at a level that doesn't seem to take much thought whatsoever, going through the motions, day after day, and it usually takes something like a tumor, a heart attack, or worse, the death of someone close to you, to make you realize that there is more to life than just "going through the motions."
I'm not judging anyone, because I am guilty as charged, but I realized, thanks to John Carlton's post about misfits, I am one of them.
I'm a misfit. It all makes sense. Only a few people in my circle of family, friends, and co-workers actually GET ME!
I am not happy going through the motions, trying to live up to other people's expectations, following their rules, all of that! I've been labeled lazy, out-of-it, a daydreamer, a failure, a troublemaker, and my personal favorite, angry. Of course I'm angry! I haven't been living the life I'm meant to live, trying to conform to a society and rules that don't apply to me! I've been trying to do the right thing for everyone else...but not FOR ME!
Why? To avoid conflict. To keep the peace and keep everyone else off my freaking back. But now, I understand. I wasn't born to conform. I have a hard time following the idiotic policies and procedures of my job, and society, because they don't work for me!
I'm not advocating everyone create mass chaos here (although, with regard to the gas prices, I think the zombies need to wake up or go feast on some oil barons masquerading as politicians!). Just a little anarchy to get the juices flowing. We creative types need stimulation!
I'm a writer. I will make a living as a writer, or die trying, and since I have way too many people, places and things I want to meet, see, and do before I start pushing up daisies, I'm going to make it one way or another. I'm not ready to quit my steady job yet, but I will post when that day arrives. Watch for the fireworks!
Most of the goals I have set for myself, in regards to my writing have been accomplished:
1. I have been published. Yes, in my local paper, but it counts!
2. I have started my own writing business and have business cards to prove it!
3. I am writing my second novel for NaNoWriMo 2007, editing the first novel from 2006 and outlining a third.
4. I have a mentor, Beth Erickson, who is helping me get my writing business and career off the ground.
I haven't stopped dreaming, laughing, or praying for help when I really need it, but most of all, I haven't stopped being grateful for all of these things and more.
These are just the ones I have completed for myself. I still have a long way to go, but here are some that I will be working on in the next few months:
1. Get a domain name, website, etc.
2. Market my business locally, then regionally, and finally, nationally.
3. Establish more than one stream of income using my skills as a writer and speaker.
4. Teach writing classes, marketing classes, seminars or workshops, and get paid for it!
I am having more fun and I have never been more scared in my life doing this, but sometimes you have to just jump in and do it.
I am an observer, which is a good trait to have if you want to be a writer. I have observed the most successful people are those who follow their own path, the "The Road Not Taken", as Robert Frost wrote. It is one of my favorite poems, and when I think things are tough, that I can't go on, or I want to give up on myself, I read that poem.
Imagine where the world would be if Robert Frost didn't take "the road not taken." What if Stephen King never wrote or tried to publish his work? Or if John Lennon didn't get together with 3 other musicians to form The Beatles? Or if Bill Gates didn't drop out of Harvard to follow his instincts with regards to computers? Or if Oprah didn't start her talk show? You get the picture.
Think of all the people you admire, who inspire you, who have come from absolutely nothing to be where they are now, if they didn't take that path, drop out of school, break the rules, or "didn't fit in" with the rest of society and yet, they were successful and they ended up making the world a better place. Or they are trying to, in their own unique way.
I say, "Misfits of the world, Unite!" as John Carlton says at the end of his post. Stand up and be proud! And for the rest of you, I leave you with the wonderful words of Mr. Robert Frost:
The Road Not Taken
by
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Choose your path. Make a difference.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope this holiday brings you lots of candy and other sweet things in your life. Fall came quickly and most of the leaves are now blown off the trees. No pictures from the North Shore this year, darn, but hopefully next year we will be able to go again.
I have been busy beyond belief. I am working hard at getting my home business up and running and it is taking longer than I anticipated, but that could just be because I'm impatient and anxious to get it going and be successful. But I don't want to get too ahead of myself and screw things up, so if it has to be slow, so be it. I am getting a lot of help from my mentor, Beth Erickson. She is phenomenal, and she and I clicked right from the get go, and the things she has taught me have given me more "light bulb" moments than Oprah! So, with her help, and my drive, I should be sipping champagne from my private jet in no time! LOL!
I am still working nights, still babysitting my nephew, Cannon, who is such a joy. He's more active and talking and it still amazes me that children soak up and learn so quickly, so I have had to watch my language around him.
Alex will be enlisting in the Navy this Spring, Thank God. He wanted to wait for a variety of reasons, and the fact he will be home for the holidays makes me want to jump up and down. I know he will be leaving, eventually, but I am now getting more acclimated to the idea of him going, and I think I will be ok with it when the time comes.
Tomorrow is the start of National Novel Writing Month. I am participating this year again. I am writing the sequel to the novel I wrote last year, "Office Politics", a murder mystery thriller. I decided to plot this year, which I hope will make the writing go a lot smoother and faster, and I hope to get my certificate saying I'm a winner. I know I am already, I just have to do it.
I won't wait another whole month before I post again. I have a lot of other things I want to share, but they can wait. In the meantime, have a great Halloween, and stay safe!
I have been busy beyond belief. I am working hard at getting my home business up and running and it is taking longer than I anticipated, but that could just be because I'm impatient and anxious to get it going and be successful. But I don't want to get too ahead of myself and screw things up, so if it has to be slow, so be it. I am getting a lot of help from my mentor, Beth Erickson. She is phenomenal, and she and I clicked right from the get go, and the things she has taught me have given me more "light bulb" moments than Oprah! So, with her help, and my drive, I should be sipping champagne from my private jet in no time! LOL!
I am still working nights, still babysitting my nephew, Cannon, who is such a joy. He's more active and talking and it still amazes me that children soak up and learn so quickly, so I have had to watch my language around him.
Alex will be enlisting in the Navy this Spring, Thank God. He wanted to wait for a variety of reasons, and the fact he will be home for the holidays makes me want to jump up and down. I know he will be leaving, eventually, but I am now getting more acclimated to the idea of him going, and I think I will be ok with it when the time comes.
Tomorrow is the start of National Novel Writing Month. I am participating this year again. I am writing the sequel to the novel I wrote last year, "Office Politics", a murder mystery thriller. I decided to plot this year, which I hope will make the writing go a lot smoother and faster, and I hope to get my certificate saying I'm a winner. I know I am already, I just have to do it.
I won't wait another whole month before I post again. I have a lot of other things I want to share, but they can wait. In the meantime, have a great Halloween, and stay safe!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Back to School--Not this year!
School started yesterday for most of the schools in this area, and for the first time ever, I didn't have to wake my son up and make him breakfast for the first day of school. Weird. Really weird.
To tell the truth, this has been a weird summer. Hotter than usual, drought, humidity that brings memories of the Everglades in Florida, and just the fact that Alex won't ever go to school again, unless he chooses to. I went to Wal-mart last week and ended up in the Back to School section and nearly broke down. Looking at the colors, the markers, the notebooks and folders, the pens and pencils, erasers, the backpacks...it was just overwhelming to think I wouldn't have to buy any of that stuff again for him.
It's also been a really hard week since he called his Navy recruiter to enlist. Reality hits again. My son will be leaving for who knows how long, and I will not be looking for him to drive up after work, or be sitting in front of the television or computer playing video games, or chilling out on the couch watching a movie. I still have that to go through, but I think I will be ok. Not great. Just ok.
I won't promise I won't cry. I will probably shed buckets of tears, and will be down in the dumps for a while, but I do have other things in my life to keep me going. I have the LOML (Love of my life) QH, who promises that if I get too worked up, he will take me fishing or flash shiny objects in front of me to distract me. I have my nephew, Cannon, who I am still babysitting during the day, who is also turning into a little ball of fire. And, my writing, which I couldn't give up even if I tried (I tried, but then I couldn't breathe, so I had to go back to it. Life or death, you know!). I can't disappoint my fans at Pro Drywall (Lori, Karen and Diane, **waving** hey, girls!), or Dan on 3rd shift who reads my articles in Zimmerman Today every other week. Also, those friends and family members who "don't get it", it drives them crazy that I would pursue a writing career because they don't think I can be successful at it. Those are the ones I love the most, because when someone says "You can't", I say, "Watch me!"
Truth is, I have plenty to keep me busy until my son comes home, for a visit or for good. I am in the process of editing my first novel for publication, and working on the sequel. It's a murder suspense thriller and the sequel is coming along nicely. I have also started my own writing business, Crawford Writing Services, Inc., and I will be doing a lot of promotion for that. I also have a great project I'm working on with Zimmerman Today, plus, a lot of articles I plan to shop around to magazines and other publications. Lots to do.
But I still want to go school shopping anyway! Just for old times sake!
To tell the truth, this has been a weird summer. Hotter than usual, drought, humidity that brings memories of the Everglades in Florida, and just the fact that Alex won't ever go to school again, unless he chooses to. I went to Wal-mart last week and ended up in the Back to School section and nearly broke down. Looking at the colors, the markers, the notebooks and folders, the pens and pencils, erasers, the backpacks...it was just overwhelming to think I wouldn't have to buy any of that stuff again for him.
It's also been a really hard week since he called his Navy recruiter to enlist. Reality hits again. My son will be leaving for who knows how long, and I will not be looking for him to drive up after work, or be sitting in front of the television or computer playing video games, or chilling out on the couch watching a movie. I still have that to go through, but I think I will be ok. Not great. Just ok.
I won't promise I won't cry. I will probably shed buckets of tears, and will be down in the dumps for a while, but I do have other things in my life to keep me going. I have the LOML (Love of my life) QH, who promises that if I get too worked up, he will take me fishing or flash shiny objects in front of me to distract me. I have my nephew, Cannon, who I am still babysitting during the day, who is also turning into a little ball of fire. And, my writing, which I couldn't give up even if I tried (I tried, but then I couldn't breathe, so I had to go back to it. Life or death, you know!). I can't disappoint my fans at Pro Drywall (Lori, Karen and Diane, **waving** hey, girls!), or Dan on 3rd shift who reads my articles in Zimmerman Today every other week. Also, those friends and family members who "don't get it", it drives them crazy that I would pursue a writing career because they don't think I can be successful at it. Those are the ones I love the most, because when someone says "You can't", I say, "Watch me!"
Truth is, I have plenty to keep me busy until my son comes home, for a visit or for good. I am in the process of editing my first novel for publication, and working on the sequel. It's a murder suspense thriller and the sequel is coming along nicely. I have also started my own writing business, Crawford Writing Services, Inc., and I will be doing a lot of promotion for that. I also have a great project I'm working on with Zimmerman Today, plus, a lot of articles I plan to shop around to magazines and other publications. Lots to do.
But I still want to go school shopping anyway! Just for old times sake!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
This is How to Have a Wedding!
On Saturday, August 11, 2007, we were invited to a wedding. The bride and groom, requested that everyone show up at 4pm to celebrate their wedding. We never got to see the wedding ceremony, that was reserved for an intimate gathering of family and friends. The wedding was held outside in their yard. Everyone was asked to dress casual, meaning shorts and shirts and sandals. It was welcome attire since the temperature was over 90 degrees and the dewpoints were in the 70's. It did cool off later in the evening, but it was plenty warm that day!
The bride is the daughter of our longtime friend, Bob, and the groom is a great guy we have all come to know and love and the newlyweds make a great couple. This is a second marriage for both, and they wanted to keep it as simple as possible.
One of the most interesting things I heard was from Bob, who said that the pastor was in bare feet for the ceremony and said that it was his first "Barefoot Wedding". He also commented by saying, "This is how to have a wedding!"
I know if I can ever afford to marry QH (LOML-love of my life), it would be small and simple, if we both decide to go through that. I don't understand why people spend such enormous amounts of money on a wedding! A small wedding is now over $25,000.00! That's almost a year's salary for me! I would rather do a Justice of the Peace, with all of our family and friends and have a nice party after the ceremony and put some of that money toward a house!
I do know some people that spend a fortune on their wedding day, they have planned for it since they were in the 3rd grade and when the day is over, they don't know what to do, or they don't realize that marriage is more than just walking down the aisle, it involves work, trust, seeing someone at their absolute worst or near death's door and staying by their side, or nursing them back to health. It's loving them even though they do things that drive you nuts, or you do things that drive them nuts and they stay with you, and yet you find a way to make it work. It's the big things, and the little things. It's appreciating them for the person that they ARE, not the person you want to change them to be, or that you fantasized they would be once you got married.
We get asked all the time, "When are you going to get married?" Like the relationship we have had for the last 12 plus years doesn't count. I don't need to have a Judge or a pastor or a piece of paper to tell me I am committed to QH. I don't need the validation. I don't need a diamond on my finger to let me know that we are committed to one another. I feel that every morning when I reach over and he is sleeping there beside me, or he is helping me with the housework, or he is supporting my decisions to run my own writing business, or my writing career in general when other people are telling me to be "practical" and find a better paying job, or he is helping my son, Alex, when I am not there for him.
I feel it and I am grateful everyday for every moment I have with him. I appreciate him for the man he was 12 years ago when I met him for the first time, and for the man he is right now. What piece of paper on this Earth will tell me that? What shiny rock pulled out of the dirt will symbolize the love I feel in my heart? None. And if we decide to get married, we will. If we decide we don't want to, we won't. Either way, the relationship, the committment, the love, the respect, that we feel for one another are there and going strong. We feel like we are already married, without the cost and all the paperwork! Since we have been living together for over 2 years, in some states, we would be considered to be in a "common law marriage". That's good enough for me.
The bride and groom also requested we not bring gifts, but we made them a card anyway, just to tell them congratulations on their special day. Now that is definitely one thing I would change. Gifts and donations are gratefully accepted, at our house, so you can send them anytime! Then maybe I can afford to keep him! LOL! :)
Congratulations Terri and Kirk! May you both live happily ever after!
The bride is the daughter of our longtime friend, Bob, and the groom is a great guy we have all come to know and love and the newlyweds make a great couple. This is a second marriage for both, and they wanted to keep it as simple as possible.
One of the most interesting things I heard was from Bob, who said that the pastor was in bare feet for the ceremony and said that it was his first "Barefoot Wedding". He also commented by saying, "This is how to have a wedding!"
I know if I can ever afford to marry QH (LOML-love of my life), it would be small and simple, if we both decide to go through that. I don't understand why people spend such enormous amounts of money on a wedding! A small wedding is now over $25,000.00! That's almost a year's salary for me! I would rather do a Justice of the Peace, with all of our family and friends and have a nice party after the ceremony and put some of that money toward a house!
I do know some people that spend a fortune on their wedding day, they have planned for it since they were in the 3rd grade and when the day is over, they don't know what to do, or they don't realize that marriage is more than just walking down the aisle, it involves work, trust, seeing someone at their absolute worst or near death's door and staying by their side, or nursing them back to health. It's loving them even though they do things that drive you nuts, or you do things that drive them nuts and they stay with you, and yet you find a way to make it work. It's the big things, and the little things. It's appreciating them for the person that they ARE, not the person you want to change them to be, or that you fantasized they would be once you got married.
We get asked all the time, "When are you going to get married?" Like the relationship we have had for the last 12 plus years doesn't count. I don't need to have a Judge or a pastor or a piece of paper to tell me I am committed to QH. I don't need the validation. I don't need a diamond on my finger to let me know that we are committed to one another. I feel that every morning when I reach over and he is sleeping there beside me, or he is helping me with the housework, or he is supporting my decisions to run my own writing business, or my writing career in general when other people are telling me to be "practical" and find a better paying job, or he is helping my son, Alex, when I am not there for him.
I feel it and I am grateful everyday for every moment I have with him. I appreciate him for the man he was 12 years ago when I met him for the first time, and for the man he is right now. What piece of paper on this Earth will tell me that? What shiny rock pulled out of the dirt will symbolize the love I feel in my heart? None. And if we decide to get married, we will. If we decide we don't want to, we won't. Either way, the relationship, the committment, the love, the respect, that we feel for one another are there and going strong. We feel like we are already married, without the cost and all the paperwork! Since we have been living together for over 2 years, in some states, we would be considered to be in a "common law marriage". That's good enough for me.
The bride and groom also requested we not bring gifts, but we made them a card anyway, just to tell them congratulations on their special day. Now that is definitely one thing I would change. Gifts and donations are gratefully accepted, at our house, so you can send them anytime! Then maybe I can afford to keep him! LOL! :)
Congratulations Terri and Kirk! May you both live happily ever after!
The Bridge Fell Down
I was at work when the I-35W Bridge collapsed on August 1, 2007. I could not believe that it happened, even though we watched it on the television in the breakroom at each break time. I prayed my heart out, especially for two of my friends who work downtown, and I was relieved to find out they were okay. I also prayed for all of the victims lost, the survivors and for the First Responders and those who were just there to try and help as much as they could to get everyone off that bridge safely.
It's been 11 days and not all of the victims have been found. The divers are having a terrible time trying to get through the debris, the currents of the Mississippi River are creating whirlpools and the visibility is almost nill.
Above the waterline, the politicians and the media are busy making promises that this will never happen again, but they are also pointing fingers at who they feel is responsible for the collapse in the first place. If you ask me, I think they are all to blame.
One of the first things they brought up was the gas tax that was voted down last fall, citing if we had voted it in, this wouldn't have happened. Baloney! The money that would have been raised from that would not have saved that bridge, or the people who perished on it. Why does the government think that if you throw money at a problem it will solve the problem? It's not the money or lack thereof that created this problem in the first place.
If they are really concerned about the lack of money in our state's transportation budget, then why don't they take a pay cut and donate that portion to the transportation budget? HMMM?
Why don't they make the things that should be a priority a priority instead of making their little pet projects at the top of their agendas? When our governor, who is a Republican, said that he would veto the gas tax because he felt that Minnesotans were burdened enough with not one, but 2 stadiums being built, plus all the other little things they were trying to pass, he caught a lot of flack for it. Now he's being attacked in the media for not passing that bill. I think he was right. We don't need another tax, especially one on gas. We've done without it for this long, we can do without it a little longer. And when Governor Pawlenty took over, the state was so far in the red and in 4 years (his first term), he turned it around without raising taxes and whoohooo, we have a surplus! He was picked apart for cutting this and cutting that, but he had to do it in order to get the state back on track. But the other politicians were just drooling at where they could spend that money. No gas tax was being sought at that time, nobody ever mentioned a gas tax until last year, so why not put that surplus towards our roads, bridges and building the Northstar Rail to alleviate some of this traffic that seems to be getting worse and worse each year?
Now, I think he is going to have to do whatever he can to make the safety of our bridges a priority so this won't happen again. Anyone who has ever come to Minnesota knows, you are crossing a river, or a lake or a stream or some body of water in this state on a bridge and some bridges have more traffic than others.
The I-35W Bridge was a main artery into and out of downtown Minneapolis. Now everyone is going to have to figure out a new way to get there and home again. Not such a bad thing, but until the bridge is rebuilt, it's going to be a traffic nightmare. But I would rather see the traffic nightmare instead of the nightmare that occurred on August 1, 2007, happen again.
I'm not saying I have all the answers. I waited a while to post about this, because it has been a hard thing to process. I do know angels were there that evening, for the deaths have not reached the double digits yet. (As of this writing, the 9th victim was pulled from the wreckage today). Four others are missing. And the heroes of that night were shown in helping other people who were hurt and injured while they were hurt and injured themselves. They weren't thinking about who passed which bill for whatever political reason that night. They were doing what Minnesotans are famous for: Helping their neighbor. Maybe they should attend our next legislative session and show the politicians how it's done.
Please keep the families and all of the people still working in the recovery process in your prayers. Pray for those who passed on and for those who survived. Hug everyone you love, because you just never know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)