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| “Schuyler, Kim and Jett’s new home- making plans for the future!” |
Points2Ponder
We’ve all heard the story.
Young married man, driving on the interstate, on his way home to his family.
Goes around a curve and – Brake lights everywhere!
He puts on his brakes, barely able to control his car and avoid hitting the cars in front.
And looks in the rearview mirror—just to see the young guy in the car behind him, on his cell phone, not paying attention—
And plows right into him!
Cut to 6 months later. That young married man has now been out of work for a few months because…
That “hit” in the rear— caused by the young guy on his cell phone?
It permanently damaged his neck and his back. Facing back surgery. 26 years old and facing a life of uncertainty!
He just keeps thinking “I was minding my own business— I didn’t cause this! Why is it that it’s my life paying the price? What did I do to deserve this? Why did this have to happen to me?”
POINTS2PONDER Why is it that the careless, thoughtless actions of others can end up changing your life forever? Why do we sometimes have to pay for someone else’s mistake? Why is it that the ones who do the crime often are not the ones who pay the price?
I hear these stories every day. My career is in insurance—disability insurance. I hear it all. The motorcyclist clipped by the driver not paying attention as he changes lanes- now paralyzed because of that lane change. Or the young mother of three, minding her own business taking her kids to daycare, sideswiped by the elderly man who didn’t notice there was a stop sign.
We’ve all heard the stories…we all know “somebody” hit by someone just being careless: talking on a cell phone; putting on make-up; eating while driving; checking out a billboard sign instead of the suddenly stopped traffic. In each situation, the “careless” party walked away, practically unscathed. They all had insurance, so for them, it was just a matter of “let the insurance companies settle it. I will pay a higher premium, but at least, I walked away! Just a bad experience on the road. Will be more careful – NEXT time!”
NEXT TIME??? NEXT TIME??? The person who was hit in each of those situations did not have a “next” time—their lives were unexpectedly, adversely changed due to someone else’s careless mistake…and they paid the price for it!
We take driving for granted and we spend way too much time “distracted” while on the road—never considering that one careless mistake could change someone else’s life forever!
I’m not even talking about drunk driving—that’s another story in itself!
But being distracted while behind the wheel-- kills also!
It kills dreams, plans, hopes…and sometimes, lives!
All because something was more important than:
- keeping our hands on the wheel, NOT the cell phone;
- our eyes on the road, NOT the billboard we just passed;
- and our minds on what’s happening in front of us while we’re driving, NOT reading a book or GPS(Yep—I’ve observed both!)
It’s US—we do NOT consider that….we will come over the curve and…suddenly, a sea of brake lights, and we don’t have time to stop.
It’s US—we somehow walk away…but, our carelessness changes lives forever, taking away things that an insurance check cannot replace.
It’s US- we steal dreams, hopes, plans and stuff we take for granted like…being able to sit at a desk for an 8 hour day without squirming from pain.
It’s just a story, a tragedy, a sad example of how careless we can be while behind the wheel..
Until that story…is the story of your son, on his way home to his wife and baby boy Jett…
When someone’s careless action changes his future and the future of his family!
Then…it’s not a story…it’s your life!
