May 31, 2017.
11:00 P.M. I’m awoken by the sound of frantic murmurs. My mom
begins to question me, “Well when’s the last time you talked to
her?.” I responded & thinking It’s nothing. I then turned
back over and tried to fall back asleep. But, something just didn’t
feel right so I got up and peeked my head out my door. I kept asking
the same question. “What’s going on?” No answer. I came out of
my room to listen in on the conversation my mom was having with my
grannie. “What’s going on?” I demanded. “We can’t find
Jamarri and she’s not answering the phone.” My mom said softly. I
pick up my phone to call and see for myself. After no answer my heart
dropped to the pit of my stomach. My cousin never missed my calls.
Ever. My mom, sister and I climbed into the car after a quick talk
with my aunt and made our way over to their house.
June 1, 2017.
12:15 A.M. A phone call that would turn my world upside down. My mom
answers and lets out a scream that is now permanently carved into my
memory. And from that moment I knew it was all bad. You see, later
that day I would be informed that my cousin had passed. She was too
busy looking down at her screen to see the tree in front of her. The
tree that would end her life. I believe had she put her phone down
for just one second, she’d still be here.
Cell phone usage
while operating a vehicle causes more than half of teen car
accidents. I believe this is preventable. Put your phone down. It can
wait because from experience, I can tell you that your family will
miss you. It will break them. Or worse, you can break someone else’s
family. Someone will be missed because you’ve decided that that
text was more important at that moment. I believe that no text is
worth your life. I believe that no snap is worth the heartache. I
believe that nothing on that phone is worth the pain that the people
you love will feel. I believe you should just put your phone down.