Living: New year 2019: Learning some Dirty Big Secrets St. Louis, MO (part 2)

"Atomic Homefront," Alexis said,"You have to watch Atomic Homefront. It is an HBO movie and it's free."  I started to write down everything she said.  She told me about the group on Facebook, Just Moms and how the radiation was affecting the community because of the  landfill Westlake.  I thanked her and thanked her some more.  I was shocked.  I decided to just enjoy a few hours in Forest Park as a tourist before I went back to the hotel to dive into the deep and shocking reality that was there.

I could only watch a few minutes of "Atomic Homefront" before I started sobbing.  These people are living in this and Alexis saved me from making a huge mistake. My family could have been stuck in that life.  I cried some more.  I couldn't take it.  I paused the video and took a shower.  I came back and watch some more and cried some more.  These people are sick and dying and the government is allowing this!  The crimes against humanity.  I was exhausted.  I took a break, then watched the rest.  I started to research more and more and realized that this was something that I needed to realize.  The reality that it isn't just St. Louis.  I had been living in my bubble for so long and now  I had to face environmental crimes and think about that when looking for a place to live.  Just when I finished my research, I got a text. It was the new real estate agent  I had contacted to try to see the house I was interested in Florissant. He wanted to confirm for Saturday.  I texted back. "Thanks for checking in. New information came to me today about the radiation contamination in Florissant. So I am taking my search to another state. Thank you so much for everything.  I spent the day talking to locals and doing EPA research."  He texted back," Ok enjoy. There are other areas in STL (St. Louis)"  I thought are you serious!!! He didn't even bat an eyelash.  Did he know?  And did he realize that St. Louis as a whole is a radiated city?  I responded, "No, the nuclear testing history and the lead production I learned about wasn't a seller for me."  He callously responded, "Lol, Have fun with your search."  What is wrong with these real estate agents I thought.  Are they soulless?

I found this,  St. Louis County knows there is radiation in the drinking WATER. 

The day I left St. Louis, I was hoping Alexis was working. I turned in the car and went inside.  I saw her and she was moving down the counter.  I caught her attention and said, " I don't know if you remember me but you told me about Atomic HomeFront." She smiled.  With tears in my eyes I said, " Thank you for saving me and my family.  You will always be in my prayers until the day I die."

The shuttle came to give me a ride to the airport.  This was not a house hunting trip, this was not a vacation.  This was an education.  And at night when I think about all the things I am thankful for.  I bless Alexis and her family and put a protective bubble over them.

Living: New year 2019: Learning some Dirty Big Secrets St. Louis, MO (part 1)

Every year.  I promise to write more in my blog. I was happy to see that at least I tied with last year.  So I promise again.  This time, this  New Year's post will be very different.   Recently, I came to learn a Dirty Big secret.  One that is causing people to lose their lives.  One that is causing children to be sick.  One that apparently is not known by everyone who lives in the St. Louis County area of Saint Louis, Missouri. When I found out this secret, I cried and cried.

Here is how I found out.  I am looking for a new place to live and I put my finger on the map and it landed on St. Louis.  I said okay, "Let's look there."  Knowing nothing about the city  I started to do research.  I looked at crime maps, real estate figures, walkability charts, sex offender addresses and none of that prepared me for the real world slap in the face reality of why the house I was looking at in the Florissant area were so affordable and a lot of them are available.  I just thought it was an old area and people were dying.  People are dying  but for another reason.

I arrived in St. Louis just a week ago to look at houses in the Florissant area, my real estate agent, Aarin Booker said nothing of the dangers in that area.  And legally she and the seller do not have to disclose this information. A few days before I arrived, Aarin Booker contacted me to say she would no longer work with me.  This was right after she kept pressuring me to put bids for contracts on two houses and I refused to sign the contracts because something didn't seem right and she said she was tired of "my feelings." Why was she pressuring me? I hadn't seen the houses yet and I was coming into town to do that! I always listen to those feelings and they worked for me. So, I made an appointment to see another realtor.  That night after picking up my car from the Alamo rental place, I felt like I purchased the wrong insurance.  I started to dismiss it because I was tired and it was late.  But I was like no, if you are thinking it do something about it in the morning.

So last Friday, I went back to the Alamo place and Alexis was there.  I told her I wanted to change insurance plans and she helped  me.  I chatted with her about allergies and she said she was into holistic medicine and I almost hestitated to say that when I was a kid my mom told me to go eat dirt, which she did say that... and I was the least sickly kid on the block.  Prior in the conversation I mentioned I was in town to buy houses in Florissant.  Alexis immediately said," Don't eat the dirt in Florissant."  I stopped, " Wait, what?!" I thought. " Tell me," I said seriously.

Visitor's Center in Forest Park, St. Louis, MO