I had a near death experience just the other day. It happened while I was chauffeuring my daughter, Kendall, and four of her friends from their school to the swimming pool. The fog was so thick that I could barely see the lines on the road. I found myself really having to concentrate, which is not something I'm used to doing while behind the wheel. I'm just being honest.
Surely, any of you who has been driving for a while has had those occasions when you end up at your destination but can't recall having passed the buildings and other landmarks along the way. It's like our minds switch to a different gear and go on cruise control. I must say though, that the best cure for the epidemic and dangers of associated mindless driving is texting. I'm not admitting to ever doing this illegal act, but wouldn't all of one's senses be working at their ultimate best when the risk of death is a mere key stoke away? Taken a step further, then it's reasonable to suggest that a texting driver is a mindful driver. Mindful drivers are certainly preferential to mindless ones. Therefore, texting while driving makes perfect sense.
I don't believe a word of what I just wrote. It seems that that kind of ludicrous reasoning is used more and more these days by people or groups who have an agenda. Advertisers stretch the truth to get us to buy their products, politicians just outright lie, and writers take things out of context in order to make a story more interesting.
Okay, okay.....I may not have been as close to death as I first lead you to believe. It was foggy and I did have a car full of kids, but it wasn't like I almost went off the road or gave a moose a close shave with my car fender or encountered anything even remotely close to being that life shattering. The only things that were shattered were my eardrums. Kendall was next to me in the front seat and she let out such an ear piercing scream that my heart skipped a few beats and went up in my throat. My senses went right to DEFCON 1, not bothering to even stop at 5-4-3-2, as it seemed that the end of my world was at hand. (I wonder if that is how texting drivers feel?)
To understand why Kendall screamed, you first have to know something about her. She is twelve years old and a fairly typical "tween-ager". That little bit is more than enough to explain the shrilling scream ---- a One Direction song began to play on the radio. If you haven't heard of or heard 1D, then you've been living under a rock. These five Brits are the hottest boy band since The Bay City Rollers of my youth and perhaps even bigger than the Bee Gees. Kendall is One Direction all of the time. Her room is a shrine and she never leaves the house without wearing something dedicated to 1D. Her infatuation is cute and creepy at the same time. Of the five boys, young men actually, Kendall has chosen Niall as the one she likes the most. He seems nice enough and he wears his pants at a height so that his underwear don't show. Kendall could do worse.
As parents, Lynda and I have chosen to embrace Kendall's enthusiasm. Actually, it's kind of infectious and even Kendall's younger sister, Avery, seems to have been won over. Their music is catchy and it seems appropriate for kids.....at least relative to some of the lyrics being put out there by Lady Gaga and her compatriots. These boys don't show much skin either. I guess their managers realize that young girls may be the fans but moms and dads still handle the family finances.
So, what is the moral of today's story? We have learned that texting while driving is dangerous, moose in the middle of the road are a hazard, and pea soup thick fog causes near zero visibility for drivers. Yet, the most important lesson I hope to impart on you has to do with the amount of attention paid while driving. Whenever you have a twelve year old girl in your vehicle and the radio begins to play a One Direction song, you are in imminent danger of losing control of your vehicle. Therefore, it goes to reason that the less attention you give to driving, the more mindless you are while behind the wheel, then the safer you and your passengers will be.
Drivers need only to let their minds go off in one direction and make sure not to interfere with a young girl's enjoyment of her favourite boy band. The one sure way of doing that is to have your smart phone on vibrate while you are texting and driving.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Time is Ticking
No predawn swimming practice for Kendall.......nothing on the calendar today that says I should be shuffling off to the hockey rink, half bleary-eyed....the kids are old enough not to need me to rescue temporarily misplaced pacifiers and blankies from the confines of their own bed sheets. It's so early on a Sunday that even my dogs are nestled in their beds, not daring to look in my direction for fear I may say a four letter word. That word is "walk", so get your minds out of the gutter. The clocks won't "fall back" until next weekend, so it's still pitch black outside. It's so foggy and misty that I'm not sure the rising sun will be able to take any edge off of the dreariness of this fall morning.
So why the heck am I sitting at my computer, composing a story, while listening to Kenny Chesney belt out "Anything But Mine" on iTunes? Wouldn't most people choose the comfort of a bed and the companionship of a cuddly bed mate? I have both of those those, just down the hall. I guess I'm not most people.
Most people do not write blogs. Those that do certainly don't reveal as much of themselves as I have chosen to do since taking up this calling early in 2011. The handle The Not So Private I remains a fitting one.
I'm awake because I have things to do. Time is a precious commodity. I dare not waste too much of it. I recently wrote a story about applying for a job and that I was having trouble passing the medical. I mentioned that the EKG found an abnormality and that I may have a big heart, in the literal sense. I have since followed up with my own doctor and it appears that is indeed the case. The early diagnosis is that my ticker has minor electrical issues. Those are my words, not the phrase used by my doctor, which was way too technical. I'll be following up with a cardiologist. As you may expect, I'll keep you posted.
When I turned on iTunes this morning, I went to my personal folder and clicked on shuffle. The first song that came on was "Safe in the Arms of Love" by Martina McBride - (you gotta love those eyes). Most times I don't pay too much attention to the lyrics of any song and god knows I've butchered my share over the years by making up words that sort of sound like they might fit with the music. I digress. When Martina began, today, for some reason, I heard what she sang. The very first line of her song is "My hearts not ready for the rocking chair." Coincidence or karma?
I'm not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. I've been assured that my heart problem is not serious. (Hey, Jimmy Boy! Try reading what you just wrote. Now go back and read it again.) I'm talking to myself (or writing to myself) because I know me fairly well. I seem to have a propensity to over think everything. I guess I'm not listening to myself very well because my alter ego wants to go back to bed. The me, who's banging away at the keyboard, is not taking any chances. I'm not about to sleep my life away, no matter how much of it I have left.
I've been pretty good over the years at making sure that my affairs are in order. The RCMP does its part of educating young officers of the necessity to do just that. I'll double check everything, just to be sure. Perhaps there's a message here. No matter what your age or life situation, every adult should take the time and spend the few bucks to ensure that your loved ones are looked after. Get a will and have a power of attorney in place in the event you are incapacitated. Those two are the bare minimum.
If I can ask a small favour of you, it is to please don't forget to complete an organ donation form. It is also very important to tell your loved ones that you want your organs to be donated. So many organs go to waste and lives are lost because no one is aware of your wishes. That donation card you signed may never be found, or worse, found days or hours after you have been buried or cremated. This is such an unselfish act and an oh so simple thing to do. The life you improve or save may me that of someone you know. Have a heart and do the right thing. Who knows, someday I just may need your heart.
So why the heck am I sitting at my computer, composing a story, while listening to Kenny Chesney belt out "Anything But Mine" on iTunes? Wouldn't most people choose the comfort of a bed and the companionship of a cuddly bed mate? I have both of those those, just down the hall. I guess I'm not most people.
Most people do not write blogs. Those that do certainly don't reveal as much of themselves as I have chosen to do since taking up this calling early in 2011. The handle The Not So Private I remains a fitting one.
I'm awake because I have things to do. Time is a precious commodity. I dare not waste too much of it. I recently wrote a story about applying for a job and that I was having trouble passing the medical. I mentioned that the EKG found an abnormality and that I may have a big heart, in the literal sense. I have since followed up with my own doctor and it appears that is indeed the case. The early diagnosis is that my ticker has minor electrical issues. Those are my words, not the phrase used by my doctor, which was way too technical. I'll be following up with a cardiologist. As you may expect, I'll keep you posted.
When I turned on iTunes this morning, I went to my personal folder and clicked on shuffle. The first song that came on was "Safe in the Arms of Love" by Martina McBride - (you gotta love those eyes). Most times I don't pay too much attention to the lyrics of any song and god knows I've butchered my share over the years by making up words that sort of sound like they might fit with the music. I digress. When Martina began, today, for some reason, I heard what she sang. The very first line of her song is "My hearts not ready for the rocking chair." Coincidence or karma?
I'm not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. I've been assured that my heart problem is not serious. (Hey, Jimmy Boy! Try reading what you just wrote. Now go back and read it again.) I'm talking to myself (or writing to myself) because I know me fairly well. I seem to have a propensity to over think everything. I guess I'm not listening to myself very well because my alter ego wants to go back to bed. The me, who's banging away at the keyboard, is not taking any chances. I'm not about to sleep my life away, no matter how much of it I have left.
I've been pretty good over the years at making sure that my affairs are in order. The RCMP does its part of educating young officers of the necessity to do just that. I'll double check everything, just to be sure. Perhaps there's a message here. No matter what your age or life situation, every adult should take the time and spend the few bucks to ensure that your loved ones are looked after. Get a will and have a power of attorney in place in the event you are incapacitated. Those two are the bare minimum.
If I can ask a small favour of you, it is to please don't forget to complete an organ donation form. It is also very important to tell your loved ones that you want your organs to be donated. So many organs go to waste and lives are lost because no one is aware of your wishes. That donation card you signed may never be found, or worse, found days or hours after you have been buried or cremated. This is such an unselfish act and an oh so simple thing to do. The life you improve or save may me that of someone you know. Have a heart and do the right thing. Who knows, someday I just may need your heart.
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