Saturday, May 30, 2009

Non Investigative Reporting

I could have waited for mom to get the newspaper today when she got the mail, but I decided to grab it on my way inside. I glanced at the cover stories on my way inside and saw an article called Teens hear sobering facts on "grim reaper" day. This story peaked my interest because in 2002 I participated in a similar "day" and in 2003 (my senior year) I decided to use a mock car crash, due to drunk driving, as my Girl Scout Gold Award project. I got the idea after helping with the Key Peninsula/Gig Harbor assembly.

I started reading the article on the way into my house and near the end, the reporter had put in other similar events from around the area. I noticed Stadium High School was not mentioned. Now, I'm not sure if Stadium still does it, but I know it was done in 2003 and again in 2004, but this time, the mother of a senior who had died in 2003 due to a drunk driving related incident spoke.

The senior was my classmate. He died the morning after prom. The driver of the car wasn't sober.

Yes, I did receive my Gold Award, but it came at a price. I am still haunted to this day by his death. I keep wondering whether or not he attended the assembly I put on (with the help of Stadium's drug prevention club). I wonder if anybody from the senior class of 2003 actually thought twice about drinking and driving. I know he and the driver didn't.

*It wasn't until halfway through writing this entry that I started crying.

2 comments:

Muffin said...

Hun,

There is always going to be someone that you can't save. I gaurantee you that there are people alive today because of what you did. You have no reason to feel like you failed.

The Ward's said...

You pulled off a great program that day, or at least thats what I was told. But you and I both know you can't save them all. I've been to the gig harbor/key pen programs with dad and they are good reminders of what not to do. But there will always be that one person who says, "Not me".
Let go of the blame!
Love ya.
A