Current Events and Advice

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32722511/ns/world_news-terrorism/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32690557/ns/health-swine_flu/

Living in a college town, it is true the students are disconnected from the real world. I know for me I have not heard of any current events since I have been here. Because of that I decided to use my current events Google toolbar and read some new events and I found two to be very important and worth knowing.

One MSNBC news article is about how the swine flu deaths are climbing and how the virus could infect a third of the world’s population according to WHO estimates. That is a really scary thought. As of last week according to the World Health Organization, 625 people have been reported dead from swine flu. That figure is more than 20% of the 2,837 known deaths since the virus emerged. Scary thing is that “Spokesman Gregory Hartl says the figure far understates the actual number of cases because countries are no longer required to report each infection as the caseload so high.” “WHO said Friday that laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease have now reached 254,206.”

After reading this article I am thoroughly scared that the swine flu will just go through the college and everyone will be sick. I, however, do realize that this isn’t the first scare that has happened in awhile. First, there was the bird flu, mad cow disease, anthrax, etc then after a couple of months, the news and everyone stopped talking about it and the topic just died. This one just feels different, because the flu each year already takes the lives of millions and now there is a flu that could be worse than the one we already have. We cannot live in fear of getting the flu; we can only try to protect ourselves. If we cough, sneeze, etc. then wash our hands, if we are about to eat use hand-sanitizer or go to the restroom and wash our hands, we should try to eat healthy food at least once a meal such as an apple, salad, orange juice, etc, we should keep up with personal-hygiene, wash our clothes, use Clorox wipes or Lysol spray to clean up your dorm room every week or every two weeks, and we should try to get eight to nine hours of sleep a night. I think simple things like this will help keep this campus a healthier place.

The second MNSBC news article is about the biggest terrorist attack since Sept. 11th. “Three British Muslims were convicted Monday of plotting to murder thousands by drowning at least seven airliners bound for the United States and Canada.” The conspirators were smuggling liquid explosives as soft drinks onboard the airplanes. “British and U.S. security officials said that plan was directly linked to al-Qaida and guided be senior Islamic militants in Pakistan.” “British authorities estimate that, if successful, around 2,000 passengers would have died. If bombs were detonated over U.S. and Canadian cities, hundreds more would have been killed on the ground. “The conspirators were going to make the bombs in the restrooms.

After reading this article, I felt stunned. I just keep thinking of the thousands of soldiers fighting over there and why they are there fighting. Even I had relatives that fought over there and were blessed enough to return home, but to think of the thousands that have not made it home. It is such a sad and touchy subject. All I know is there is new power in the world so there better be change for the better!!

I know what it feels like to lose someone due to age and health problems. It has happened to me this year. But as Nickelback said it “each day is a gift and not a given right,” and as Envy on the Coast put it “I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to live and not remember why.” If we take that advice and use it every day maybe it would get rid of the ultimate fear of dyeing and losing the people that are close to us. Each person is different but if they really care about the person, when they die they don’t want the people to cry over them they want them to remember all the amazing times that you had together. Maybe invent something in honor of them, or think of them when you are living your life. No one ever dies until you forget about them. I know for me when I die I want people to celebrate the time we had together and not cry but have a party in honor of me. The book “Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom is not what you would think it would be. The plot is about a person’s live and the 5 different people that have affected his life. The first person he meets explains to him that each person he meets will teach him a lesson and by this he will discover his meaning and purpose in life. It is a really good book, had me crying at the end. I feel maybe the book explains why we should not be afraid of dying but maybe afraid that we did not live today, we lived tomorrow always waiting, wishing, and hoping for tomorrow but not realizing what we have today. Our purpose in life cannot be to sit around waiting, it is to take action and make a difference in the world. It can be as small as making the person next to you smile or as big as inventing the cure to the swine flu. Whatever our purpose is in the world it is big in each and every way, and more in likely by the way we affect those who we left behind. Just remember if you are like one of my best friends that lost someone close to him last weekend, or me this year. They are not dead until you completely forget about them, so always keep them close to you in your heart, thoughts, and prayers.