Crystal’s View

It just gets worse. Click here for the latest update of the Hepatitis/HIV Scare in Las Vegas.

Update: Endoscopy clinic has been shut down after health district learns it may have exposed thousands of patients to Hepatitis C, B or HIV. In a news conference moments ago Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said the clinic’s license has been revoked.   

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What??? This isn’t good.

Read this.

Back in August of last year, I decided it was time to get my health in line. After getting married, I gained weight like a lot of women do. Mind you, it wasn’t like 50 pounds or enough to make my scale burst, but enough for me to notice and do something about it.

Against my husband’s wishes, I hired a trainer at my gym. It wasn’t cheap, hence why my husband did not want me to do it. But, that same day I had learned from my doctor that I had high cholesterol. For someone who had only turned 30 and has never had children, I have no excuse for being overweight or having high cholesterol.

Hiring the trainer was the best thing I could have done for myself. I not only lost the weight, but I lost inches and gained more muscle mass. I’m leaner, and I fit in my clothes better. I am even eating better, though I admit I’m still weak at the smell and sight of a big bowl of popcorn!!!

The money it cost to hire the trainer was well worth it. It paid off, and here is why. No amount of money could be better spent than on my own health, my life! I could have gone shopping instead and bought some really awesome shoes and clothes at my favorite store. I could have gambled it in a casino or bar. I could have wasted it any place else. Instead, I used it as momentum. And now, it’s not a chore for me to go to the gym. I actually like it. I want to be there.

Lastly, if you ever need a little inspiration, just walk into a gym anywhere and look at the people there. Two people I don’t even know gave me the inspiration. One of whom was an elderly man peddling away on a stationary bike in front of the treadmill I was begrudgingly treading along. I noticed him, but I didn’t see him until he got up and left the bike with the assistance of a walker! “Well,” I said to myself, “if he can make himself come to the gym everyday, so can I.”

Then, there was Monday. My former trainer, who I liked to call my gym boyfriend was with a new client. Again, I had seen this girl in the locker room, but I didn’t really look at her. Until I saw him working out with her. Then I saw that she is blind! She was working out harder than most of the people at that gym! It made me feel good to see that. And it made me realize I have every reason to be there, making myself a healthier person.

If that isn’t inspiration, I don’t know what is……..

So get moving. You will reap the reward!

Living in Las Vegas, there is no shortage of crime. Less than two weeks ago, a teenage boy was gunned down while he was walking home from school with a group of friends. He died. A couple of days later, a man was shot and killed during what police described as a home invasion robbery. That shooting happened just a mile from my new home.

Working in news for nearly a decade, I have heard it said over and over, “this is a quiet neighborhood,” or “I never thought it would happen here.” I find myself asking now, “Why not?”

There is no such thing as a safe neighborhood anymore. Everyone at some point is at risk. Sure, there are small communities with little to no crime, but violence is everywhere. It can happen at anytime, anywhere.

Just this morning, I read a story on MSNBC.com about a man who shot and killed his mother before murdering a neighbor and a small child. And, police said,“This was a tragic event in a quiet neighborhood.” Wouldn’t this be tragic anywhere? What callous murder isn’t tragic?

I pose this to the media and all of the other journalists trying to get the story… when you are writing your story for print or air, don’t say, “the murder happened in a quiet neighborhood,” or “this upscale community never expected such a violent crime to happen here.” It only leads people to believe they are safe or somehow immune from some terrible crime touching their lives.