Mountains Out of Mole-Hills

I am going to rant a bit here so if you aren't in the mood, I apologize, but I'm still going to go off a bit.

So a good friend and neighbor pops over yesterday to let me know (on the down low) that one of our neighbors kids tested positive for Type A influenza and for the H1N1 virus or more popularly called the Swine Flu. Why it is called the swine flu I will never know, but I do know for a fact it has nothing to do with pigs. I digress. So I decide to encourage Jon to wash his hands because I know seven year old boys are not typically concerned about hygiene in any sense. That's where I left it, because honestly, while this flu is not something I want or want my kids to have, I am not going to freak out. I repeat I am not going to freak out. It is amazing to me, however, how our delightful media can create such a frenzy.

I held book club at my house last night and one of my friends, whose daughter is in Jon's class was present. I told her about it, she is a nurse and while she also understands that this could potentially spread like wildfire, our healthy kids with no chronic illness or asthma, will mostly likely weather the storm unscathed. Book club ended and I received a call on my cell around 9:40 p.m. I don't get many calls in the evening, so I checked it out. My friend had done a quick errand after book club and drove past our school and saw cars and media vans parked outside. Are you freaking kidding me? Then I turned on the news to hear about it and then found it on the news websites as well. There in full color is our precious school on the screen like a most wanted FBI photo.

Okay so I get that we don't want to make light of this flu - I get that, but media vans, really. Parked outside the school at 9 o'clock at night like there is a hostage crisis going on? Really? Is there so little else going on in the world that THIS is the hot topic for the evening news? Really?

So I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed to the bus stop this morning to visit with the other mom's and asked how our little flu victim was doing. "Fantastic!" her mom says, she's bounced back wonderfully. I also found out that the H1N1 test, is only 69% accurate. Hello? This is the best they have at the moment, so all H1N1 cases are more "probable" than "definite". Again this is doing little for my confidence in the media and the hell it most likely causing our district PR rep and our principal.

I decided to make a proactive statement by buying Lysol wipes and a Purell squirterfor my son's class - his teacher was pleased as can be, because let's be honest here - most kids are dirty and while that doesn't bother me, it doesn't hurt to have them wipe down common areas to keep them healthy - I'm not just talking the swine flu. Knock on wood I have some pretty healthy kids, part of which I attribute to the fact that I allow them to be exposed to the elements, dirt and other such goodies. I don't constantly wipe them or me down with Purell, because honestly a little dirt does a body good. We're creating bubble children with little tolerance to anything and allergies to everything because they get exposed to NOTHING. While my actions may seem contrary to my beliefs, I do think that it is important to clean up after yourself - I mean I might let my kids play in dirt, but I still eventually give them a bath.

As I entered the school this afternoon I was able to have a bit of banter with our head custodian and joked about his long night, the district PR rep was there and she added that it was an early morning. From what I hear she never went to bed. Our principal was holed up in his office so my gift (albeit a bit of a gag) of Purell with a bow on it wasn't received in person. My statement to the office staff was - I wasn't sure if he had any sense of humor left, but I wanted to try. Then I explained that I was going to make a stance against the media and lick a few door knobs. That'll teach 'em!

I guess I have little point to this rambling other than the media pisses me off so much. I joked with my neighbor yesterday that I would love the media, just for one week to lie their pants off. The economy is great, job's are being created, a compromise on health care reform is made and everyone is happy, the Dow Jones, up, up, up! Crime is down, people are losing weight and we've found a cure for Cancer. I guarantee that we would see an upturn in our society. The strong hold our media has and their constant negative focus is one of the downfalls of our world. I want to be informed, but sometimes not so informed. I should have grown up in the 60's - I'm clearly happy with a little dose of ignorance is bliss.

With that I leave you, please still come visit me in Noblesville -we don't have the plague.... yet!

Thanks!