Another life wasted...make that two!

I have worked in the Old Town school system almost 3 years now, and have now seen 6 former students die tragic, unexpected, and even horrible deaths. It never gets easy...especially when you have either taught these kids, or known them as student body members and potentially "good" citizens of the community you work in and around.
My first year, within the first month of work, we lost two students to an accident that should have been avoided had the girl NOT been picking up her boyfriend at his home in the first place for school that day...she didn't have her license long enough to be carrying other kids...it was absolutely an inexperienced driver's fault-type of accident, and they both died WAY too soon.
They were a Junior and Senior.
Then, the very next year....a Sophomore with a wonderful musical career ahead of him perished in another inexperienced driving accident...he hit the soft shoulder and could not control his truck...when he stopped, the load of lumber he had in the bed came through the back window and basically impaled him. He was a very sweet boy.......BOY!!! His mother is still devastated by his loss....obviously. Such a waste...he was hurrying to keep up with the guys in front of him as they were on their way to the camp they were building together and this boy had the lumber.

This year, we lost a Junior to and "accidental" overdose of who knows WHAT drugs! Eric was a misguided kid who was trying to just stay afloat...he played football just to keep himself getting up in the morning. He had recently fallen into a fire pit while intoxicated and burned his hands...so he was on vicodin for the pain...which was not working, so he had his father get him "something else"....His mother found her son dead in bed around 1 p.m. on a Sunday....

And this weekend....a girl in my Pride Group for the last two years, who graduated last year (similar to a home room, only more intimate in closeness cause there are only about 15) gets taken hostage when the ex-boyfriend whom she put out an harassment warrant on, finds her with another guy...he beats him with a bat, takes her hostage and drives to Connecticut whereby they get pulled over and he shoots himself in front of her...Jesus! The guy she was with who was beaten to death was a good kid too....tragic! The guy who shot himself was a loser to begin with, but I have the sinking feeling that he is the brother of a freshman student of mine...something else I will have to deal with when I get back if this is so...she seems fragile enough as it is.

To top all this off, my student teacher lost his good friend's fiance to a car crash this week...she was headed from Portland to Yarmouth to work on 295 and for some reason crossed the median onto the southbound land and was struck by a mail truck and killed...he was beside himself, and I had to deal with that on top of the lousy week I get to have every year at this time, yet I have to go to work and "deal" with it so no one knows I am upset. I have to be there for the students I teach/work with regardless and...it just never really goes away ladies....it does get easier, but things come up and it still hits and hurts to the core. I hate that.

I am sick to death....of death, to put it bluntly!

Today, I gave Kyle his first lesson driving a standard....he was frustrated, but really did okay. He has decided that he wants an automatic, and I told him that was fine, but when he learns this way, he will be able to drive anything (but a semi). One hour down and 34 to go...or 6 months...whichever comes first! He will be fine. It's me who won't be, once he takes the car out for his first solo.......

No trip to Florida thanks to the Pope and his Yankee Stadium Mass. He managed to single handedly screw up all flights in and out of NY and NJ...We would have really have been stuck according to my friend Bob....Newark got crazy just after we headed home from Bangor. So, my yard work and kitchen floor take presidence this week...that's ok. At least the weather is ok so far. Nothing ventured, nothing gained....right???

Kim