Hit Me With Your Best Shot

I shouldn't be afraid to vaccinate my child, but when my daughter received her infamous one-year shots, I was. Thanks to celebrities like Jenny McCarthy (who insists that her son's autism was caused by his immunizations) and uber-crunchy, hippy moms who breastfeed their kids into high school (and therefore certainly don't vaccinate), vaccinations nation-wide are on the decline. Between last January and June, there were 131 reported cased of measles in the U.S., the highest number in 12 years. The fear-mongering, it seems, has trickled down from the highest levels of government to big-breasted celebrities. As if I don't feel guilty enough for what I do or don't do as a mother (go to work? you're neglectful...give your kid juice? you're setting her up for obesity and type 2 diabetes), now I have to hear about how every other celeb mom feels about vaccinating, as if being a celebrity and having a medical degree are mutually exclusive. I don't doubt that vaccinations can possibly instigate problems in some kids who are already predisposed to them, but to say that vaccines cause autism is dangerous and unfair. Besides, we seem to be missing the larger picture: a child with autism can live and thrive; a child with the measles (or mumps or small pox) very well may die. Personally, I'd rather have a child with autism than to say I had one that died from the measles.

Winter Wonderland

Well, it's here. Winter has finally come to South Dakota. Here in the extreme eastern part of the state, the snow is wet and heavy and somewhat resembles a K-Mart slushie. In the western part of the state, however, the snow may be the same consistency, but that's where the similarities end. Deadwood and Lead received about 47 inches of snow, according to reports, while the corridor from Rapid City to Spearfish received somewhere between 12-18 inches. Sixty-mile an hour wind gusts caused drifts 10-12 feet high across the central part of the state, stranding over 300 motorists. By the time the storm reached us in the east, it had become weak and deflated. As a result, we only received about 3-5 inches, which is just fine with me. It's just enough to encourage me to curl up on the couch with a blanket, a cup of tea and a stack of essays. Winter Wonderland indeed.

Amazing Grace

After nearly two years of debates, caucuses, and speeches, America has elected Barack Obama as its next President. This presidential election was the third since I became old enough to vote but the first in which the candidate I voted for actually won. I believed in Obama's ability to change what's for so long been broken; I believed in his message of hope for a brighter future; I believed in the strength of his character and the courage of his convictions. Seeing him elected our next president brought sobs to my throat. I still believe in Barack Obama and I believe he will lead our nation and unite our people as no president has done before. I admire his determination to make our country a better place for our children and I respect both his political ideals and his family values. Several years from now, in the not so distant future, my daughter will ask me what she should be when she grows up. "Absolutely anything you want to be," I'll be able to honestly tell her. Barack Obama has just proved that it's possible.