Do you think the world is coming to an end tomorrow? You might if you live in California or somewhere else where the Swine Flu has been detected. Geez. Really?

My kids are terrified because the news media is out of control on this one. There have been 50 cases in California. However, NO ONE HAS DIED. Also, ONLY A FEW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED.

Do they lead the story with this information????? Oh no, the lead story is how every CVS pharmacy in my area is out of masks and how to order some in bulk online if you can't find any. They do then say, at the very end of the story, how the World Health Organization reports that masks really WILL NOT be effective anyways as you would have to wear them 24 hours a day and small droplets of virus can still get through the mask.

Schools have been closed, travel cancelled, and the news media has a great story they can blow totally out of proportion to up their ratings during sweeps.

What good is panicking anyways? I told my kids three things. Wash your hands A LOT. Cover your mouth when you sneeze. Turn off the TV, stop listening to the news, go outside and have some fun. OK, maybe that was more than three things, but you get the picture.

I will tell you what did get me a little panicked yesterday.

I was driving down the freeway to pick Tyler up from football practice after school and the truck two cars in front of me had a ladder fly off the back of it and hit the car in front of me. There was lots of screeching breaks and thankfully I was able to stop before I ran into the back of this poor guy. I had semi-trucks on either side of me and had no where to go, when I look in my rear view mirror to see traffic behind me slamming on their breaks trying not to hit those of us who had come to a complete stop in the middle of the freeway. The cars were far enough back that it took them a few seconds to get to me. Thankfully they were also able to stop and the guy that got hit by the ladder seemed to be OK. My neck was tense for a few hours after that. I think I had tensed up so much preparing for impact I actually hurt myself.

I am so thankful that I was not hit because I was not in the Suburban but in Dave's Altima and I really did not want to be slammed in to one of those big rig trucks. I was a little shaky for a few hours after that to. It was way to close for comfort.

Thank You Jesus for keeping me and everyone else safe in what could have been a really awful accident.

Now, Jesus, please also protect my family from the swine flu. Or, in the least, from all the news reporters that are sure we will all be dead tomorrow from its effects.

Well, I guess if that does happen, I won't have to worry about all the big trucks on the freeway anymore.

There is a silver lining to every story, if you just look for one.

Labels: Mom Stuff