There appears to be an inverse relationship between cell phones and our intelligence; the phones are getting smarter and we, as evidenced by our actions, are getting dumber…
I am amazed and infuriated by the behavior going on around me; amazed by the arrogance/ignorance and infuriated by the obliviousness/recklessness…
It doesn’t matter if I’m waiting for a traffic light to change, driving down the interstate at seventy miles per hour, winding my way around to exit a spiral parking deck or navigating a shopping center parking lot; every place I look, there is at least one person-usually more-driving distracted, either talking or texting. I see it because I’m not on my phone anymore…
In fact, it’s not uncommon to see people walking distracted too…
Fortunately, I’m not one of those sorts of pedestrians. Yesterday as I was crossing the parking lot of Presbyterian Hospital - Matthews, I had to abruptly stop so a car could pass. The driver, who appeared to be around my age, had both hands on the wheel propping up her phone; she was obviously sending a text. The teenager seated beside her was also busily typing a message on her phone. The only person who noticed me was the ‘tween seated in the back; she met my gaze and gave a slight shrug, to which I shook my head...
Granted, the driver was traveling maybe ten miles per hour… Still, why didn’t she take care of her ‘urgent’ business before leaving her parking spot? Or why didn’t she pull over again into a vacant space (at least four were available in the vicinity) if her message couldn’t wait? I just don’t get it.
I know I’m a special case and most definitely biased. Anyone forced to live this life would be the same… My reasons are straightforward and simple. I don’t want anyone else to experience the pain we endure every minute of every hour of every day. Nor do I want anyone else I love to be at risk because of a stupid phone.
It is difficult not to become discouraged when I see so many people putting themselves and others in harm’s way over meaningless conversations and messages.
The challenge to persuade others to voluntarily stop talking and/or texting while driving is enormous and frankly, overwhelming if I think about it long enough. It’s an epidemic, and by contrast, I am only one person, one small voice confronting the status quo: those who believe experience and their finely honed ‘skills’ will save them, the ones with the ‘it won’t happen to me’ mentality.
We didn’t think it would happen to us either. Until it did. And then it was too late. I have the broken heart and shattered life to prove it…
At times like this, when frustration and despair threaten to eclipse all of my hopes for making a difference, I take a deep breath and step back, remembering it’s not up to me to save everyone. My mission is to tell Brian’s Story whenever and wherever an opportunity presents itself; the rest is up to Someone far greater.
But I can’t help wanting to save the world anyway…
Wishing you sunshine and hope…tg
Tammy will update her blog on Mondays and Thursdays
