100 Years And One Day

In 1911, in New York City, 146 young immigrant women lost their lives.  The shirt factory they worked in was on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floor.  Doors were locked to keep them on task.  The fire escape wasn't sturdy enough to hold all the women trying to get out.  Terrified young ladies leaped to their deaths from the windows.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire happened one hundred years ago yesterday.  From this tragedy, many labor laws were passed, and regulations and rules were created to ensure the safety of workers in factory settings.

This historical event really captured my attention when I was fairly young.  Perhaps because of the ages of the victims, they were so near my own age.  Maybe because these were primarily immigrant girls who were working to discover their own American Dream.  Or maybe just because it was such a needless tragedy. 

One of the main cemeteries where these victims were buried in New York is seeing the headstones erected for these girls washing away the proof of their stories.  We take for granted the labor restrictions that this fire brought about, so we tend not to think of these victims much any more. I hope that it stays in the history books, but even those are being rewritten at an alarming rate.

I'm grateful to know this story.  And I am grateful that people, at least in NYC, commemorated this tragedy.  The longer ago it becomes, the less it will be recognized and remembered.

It Keeps Getting Better

We have had some amazing things happen this week.  None of them involve the weather, and sadly not the BYU Cougar basketball team either.  But in our family's little world, they are pretty dang amazing.

Last night was The Boy's board of review, the final step for his Eagle rank in scouting.  He passed and with flying colors.  Today he is an official Eagle! 

(Now, if everyone will just pray that his formal notification from the National BSA will arrive in time that we can go forward with the planned Eagle Court of Honor on May 1st while my family is here; I'd appreciate that a lot.  Thanks.)

Then, as you have heard, The Girl found out a week ago that she won the Energy Solutions scholarship for her high school, worth $2000 for college.  This week, she discovered that the university where she wants to attend has a program that will MATCH that scholarship with on e of their own, so her $2000 can potentially be worth $4000 is she keeps up her grades and is accepted at Utah State University in the fall of 2013. 

This tidbit was thrilling!  To know that her first year of school could already be paid for with scholarships and the money she has earned last summer, along with what she thinks she will earn this summer working at the pool.  Awesome!

Now if the Cougars had just beaten Florida last night, it would be a trifecta.  But overtime in the Sweet 16 isn't too shabby.  Plus, Jimmermania has been a great ride.    But I guess we can't have it all.  I sure do like what I have at the moment though.  What great kids!  I love them!!

Not Even Once

Yesterday there was a report on the news of a two year old killed in a car accident when the minivan his mom was driving hit a deer on a stretch of highway about an hour and half south of us.  This little toddler was crawling from the back seat to sit in his 13 year old sister's lap in the front seat.  He didn't have his seat belt on.  He wasn't in a car seat.  He wasn't killed by flying through the windshield.  He was killed when the air bag deployed.

It is so sad, and was so incredibly preventable.

When The Boy and The Girl were little I had to wrestle them into their car seats.  Houdini Boy was pretty good at worming his way out of his chair after a while.  Sneaky Girl liked to pretend her buckle "clicked" when really, it didn't.   It was nearly a warzone in the car. There were many times I didn't leave the garage without a seat belt and car seat check-point-charlie.

Did that take a lot of time?  Of course.  Did it drive us all crazy?  Absolutely.  Do I regret never allowing them out of the seats and belts even once?  Not a chance.

You hear that idea "not even once" and people make it sound like a rule is being imposed militarily and without thought.  But I am sure that minivan driving mom is wishing today she took the advice.  Militant or not.   Today, there is no going back.

I hope others can learn from this tragic lesson.  A child's safety is vitally important.  And as a parent, you can't let it slip--not even once.

Commitment

Commitment is one of those things.  You know, those things that you see either one way or the other.  There isn't a lot of middle ground in commitment.  Like being pregnant.  You either are, or you're not.

What you choose to commit to says lot about you as a person.  Are you committed to your spouse?  Your family?  Your faith?  Your job?  Your causes?  Your favorite team?  Really?!  Fully committed?!

If you are wishy-washy then you are not committed.  If you are not willing to put in the time to do the job right, then you are not committed.  If you look for ways to get out of the responsibilities associated with your commitment, there is a problem with your commitment level.  If you spend more time looking for the loop hole than just putting your shoulder to the wheel, then the commitment isn't there.

Why do people live like this?  Living an incongruent life is much more difficult, I would think.  If I have committed to something, I work hard to complete my end of the given deal. 

I'm committed to my family--that doesn't make it easy to follow through for this family unit I have been given, but it is worth it.  And I love my family even more as we struggle through life, working in out together.

I'm committed to my faith--and I see a lot of blessings come from living what I believe,all the time, in all the places I find myself, and in all the situations I get into.  God blesses me as I do what I know is right.  It is just that easy.

I'm committed to my work--and that is saying something because "volunteer work" just doesn't pay what the world deems as valuable.  But I know the value in my time as I serve local schools, as I support local PTA leaders, as I work with kids around town.  The world around me is a little better when I am done with it, simply because I feel like I have done a little extra.

Finding fulfillment is more than having someone tell you that what you do is making a difference.  Fulfillment must come when the level of my commitment is answered by the level of my personal value--even when no one else see it that way.

Options Are Good, Right?

Today I had an appointment at a non-traditional medical center to see if there is anything else to try before knee surgery becomes the only option.

I started having pretty severe knee pain as summer ended last year.  I thought that it had to do with my water zumba class that really strained the knees moving sideways and at angles as part of the resistance in the water.  After a check with my regular doctor, I was told that it is just tendonitis and 800 mg of ibuprofen before and after walking, along with icing the knees each day after I walk will help them. 

Well, now I am almost seven months from that diagnosis and the pain is still there up and down the stairs, if I try getting out of the little cars, or if I stand up without any armrests to help support myself.  I feel like an old person.  It stinks.

Today's appointment was just a consultation, and sounds like it is an option that should work.  There are some injectable viscous gel that replaces the joint fluid that is missing between the bones in the knees over the course of a few weeks.  The injections allow this stuff to stay in the knee, where it is needed.  As ibuprofen is systemic, it has to go through the blood stream to get where I need it--and with the dosages I have been taking I was getting worried about my liver.

But, here is the catch.  There is always catch, right? 

This clinic is "out of network" per my insurance.  Because of that fact, my deductible is something like $1500 before they will pay any percentage, and that is sure to be small.  I'm glad we have insurance, but it seems pretty dumb to me that this is a not surgical option and will be less expensive than the surgery could be.  But the insurance won't pay for this option, apparently.

My plan is to hash this out with Genius Golfer and see what we can afford, and in the meantime check with my regular family practitioner and ask if this same viscous gel is something they can shoot me up with in their office.  Maybe then the insurance will cover some more of it procedure.

It is just frustrating that medical procedures are dictated by what insurance will cover and what it won't.  I sure wish my doctor and I had that option, instead of the insurance companies.

Oh Happy Day!

No, with that title I don't mean I'm writing today about BYU making it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, though that is pretty cool.

Nope, I am writing today give The Girl a big shout out! 

She found out Friday that she won the Energy Solutions scholarship for her high school.  It is a $2000 scholarship given to one sophomore at each Utah high school who plans on studying in the math or sciences arena at college.

She had to apply, and answer several small essays and submit two letters of recommendation--and of course, plan to study in a field of math or science.  But it is good for any college she chooses. She did it pretty much on her own.  She had me proof read her little essays, but she knew more about the topics, for the most part, than I did.

I'm just so proud of her.  She is a bright, intelligent, happy girl with lots of friends and an innate desire to do well at whatever she is doing.  She is a self motivated and determined student and has a creative and imaginative mind.

She has already scheduled her junior year to all but finish her associates degree with her high school diploma.  She already had scoped out the university she wants to attend and is narrowing down her major. 

I was never that together when I was her age.  And I was never that smart either.  Good thing for me that I have her.  She is a joy and a tremendous help in our family.  Now if we could just get her a little more interested in learning to drive....or maybe not.

Video Sunday

Here is an English translation of the voiceover exchange between the two reporters in the clip (translation courtesy of Toshiyuki Kitamura):

We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

He has a collar. He must be someone's pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

Where?

Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

The dog is protecting him.

Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

I can't watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

Yes! Yes! He is alive.

He looks to be weakened. We need to them to be rescued soon. We really want them rescued soon.

Oh good. He's getting up.

It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It's just amazing that they survived through this all.

CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.


Too bad there aren't more people who behave as loyally as this dog does to his ailing friend.