Imminent Death

I'm terrified I might kill someone tonight.

That it will be all my fault that they die.

Like a person with a minor flesh wound who I accidentally pass over in my search of the Bates Motel or my fire suppression partner and myself because I forge ahead forgetting our back-up extinguisher and we burn to a crisp when our first tank winds up empty. I'm certain I'm going to kill somebody tonight. In fact, I'm willing to wager my first million on it.

Tonight is my Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) final and I'm a tad freaked out about it. I'm afraid I'll forget to turn off the natural gas surrounding a destroyed building and blow up my whole team in the process. Luckily this is only a drill, but I'm so nervous!

Rumor has it that the actors are superb. Gooey wounds, moaning wounded, screaming mothers panicked for their babies, triage, a morgue. I think I might be sick. Which is precisely the reason I signed up for this class.

It was time to stop praying for bad incidents to not happen in my presence and be proactive in educating myself about handling them. Time, because heaven only knows that soon enough my blessings of answered prayers are bound to run out and something horrible will occur. An earthquake, flood, car accidents, terrorism. I felt the need to be prepared, for my family and myself- so that hopefully I won't freak out, but know what I can do to help.

CERT is a national volunteer program that allows citizens to be first responders in case of natural disaster when city, state and federal help is unavailable. It is good, valuable, life saving information that I think everyone should know. Especially those squeamish like myself. Find out from your local Red Cross or city emergency response personnel if these programs are available in your neck of the woods. You won't regret signing up and getting educated in disastrous life saving techniques ...

...at least not until final day!

Here's to hoping I don't die from nervousness before I get to the Motel and a heart attack once I'm in the middle of the disaster zone. So much to remember, so much to forget. Wish me luck.