Why haven't I deleted this blog already?

So, here is something crazy. For whatever reason, today April 13th 2o08, I decided to look at my blog. Haven't really thought about it in a long time. I was amazed to see that the last time I posted anything to this was exactly one year ago today.

I have nothing to add to this. I never really do. My life is so mundane. The only real significant thing that has happened to me in this last year is that three important people in my life have died. First my aunt and godmother, Chrissie, then my grandmother, and then three weeks ago yesterday my sixty-two year old father. The last of these is the most surreal.

This time last year, as far as we knew dad was fine. Completely fine. No illness that we knew of except what seemed to be a chest cold that he just couldn't really shake. We found out in September that the chest cold was asbestoses coupled with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Just seven months later, he was gone. I still do not see how this is possible. Mostly, how in this day and age are people like my father still being exposed to asbestos. How can an owner of any kind of company sleep at night knowing what they are doing to the people that work for them? It's not a peaceful gentle death. My father was struggling to breathe. Think about it like this:
You have just run a 50 yard dash. Not very far I know, but you gave it everything you had so now, catch your breath. You can't. You try, and keep trying, but you can't. It's been an hour and you still can't. Days pass and you are still trying to catch your breath. No luck.
This is life with Pulmonary Fibrosis or any of the other diseases caused by asbestoses.

Did you know that until a little more than a month ago you couldn't sue companies in Alabama that exposed you to asbestos? It's true. All lawsuits in this state having to do with asbestos were made illegal in 1982. Right around the time my father was suffering his greatest exposure to the material. In 1989 strict restrictions were put in place for working with asbestos. However in 1991 the good people in the Supreme Court of Louisiana were kind enough to over turn that for the businesses that use asbestos still today.

When dad left work his boss told him,"David, I don't know how you've work here this long." Dad thought he meant that he couldn't believe that he(dad) worked in the heat and cold of the open air warehouse as long as he did. I think he was shocked that his carelessness hadn't killed my father already. One of Dad's former co-workers came to his wake and made it pretty clear that they are still exposing people to asbestos today. The regulations must be doing their job, for business.

Asbestos isn't a forgotten problem. It's is still being used in shipbuilding, brake pads, and other car parts. Dad was exposed in a warehouse where it was cut to make gaskets for ships. I will be asking the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation to create a memorial fund in Dad's name (John David Naylor.) You will be able to donate there if you feel the urge. Otherwise you can give to the American Lung Association, or Mesothelioma Foundation. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by asbestoses. Chances are that Dad had both diseases and that's why he went so quickly.

Also, write your congress person. Let them now that no one is disposable. That any company still exposing people to asbestos are committing acts of murder.

Sorry that my first blog in a year is so depressing. It has been pretty therapeutic for me. I have been trying to find meaning in my father's death. A death many years too soon, for no good reason. By working together we can make people aware again. It is a problem that can be stopped. We can work to cure those already exposed, and stop anyone from ever being exposed again.

On that note:

On This Day In History:

I remembered my dad.