I"d just finished up an email to a dear friend,   shut the computer down cause it was thundering,  and lightening was streaking around..... and then turned on the tv and of course was shocked and sickened to see the 35W bridge bent in half,  like a deck of cards,  with cars crossways from each other,  cars in the Missisippi River,  half in and half out of the water,  like a scene out of a bad movie.

I used to use that bridge when I'd drive to the U of M to go to the dental clinic. Just two weeks ago I was told that if I wanted to go there,  I'd have to get a new driver cause my regular driver hates that bridge....to say nothing of the traffic around the campus.

Thank God the children got out of the bus safely!  Bravo to the young man that opened the door,  kicked out the coolers and started getting the kids out!  So many brave women and men all pitching in,  running down the hill to the bridge,  from their apts. to help however they could.

That's the basic human instinct I believe,  that we're basically good people,  most of us do what we can to help another human in distress.  The next few days are going to be so much hell on earth for the families of those that didn't make it out of their cars, or that might have been pedestrians....

The truck driver for  UPS had said he saw the driver in the semi,  burning.  He knew the guy too.  How horrific for him,  and all the rest that had to go through yesterday's nightmare.  It's hell too for the rescuers,  the police,  and the doctors that repair the broken bodies.

I'm sure stuff like this happened when I was younger,  I just don't remember hearing about it,  day after day,  on tv.  Now it's on the computer too,  and it just smothers us with coverage,  and I find myself walking away from the tv feeling rather empty and sick.

So I guess just shut the dang thing off and try to resume my life right? 

I think the best thing to do is whatever one wants to do and is capable of.  The majority of the blood needed, the Red Cross said, is type O,  the universal donor.  I have that type only am not allowed to donate.  So a gift of money is one way I can contribute.  That and prayers.  Lots of prayers for everyone involved there.

I sometimes find myself wishing life was as simple as it was when I was a child,  I'd think to myself that if I turned the world inside out,  gave it a bath,  and fed it,  that everyone would be happy..  oh that it could be that simple.

Don't you ever find yourself wishing you could prevent things like this from happening?  or make it all better?  Childish wishes I reckon. 

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Well tomorrow Laura Bush is going to be here in MN.?  and Saturday President Bush?  Like a neighbor of mine said,  "why don't the owners of all the teams just pay for the new damn stadium themselves and let our tax dollars build better bridges?".  I'm all for THAT. 

I think the powers that be have their priorities mixed up.

Prayers for the families,   you betcha.  But our tax dollars go for a sports stadium...

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Dear God,  please keep your angels with the families and workers.  Amen.