I'm proud to say I don't text and drive (I do admit I will look at my phone occasionally or use it to call someone), and I'm not saying this like I'm bragging. I'm just not talented enough to text and steer a car at the same time. Usually I either have a designated texter in the car or pull over if I think it's really important. But I wish I had more courage to speak up against it. I know friends who text while they drive. I don't approve of this at all. I don't mind having to text for them, and I usually do offer then that option. I feel very uncomfortable having someone pay attention to their phone instead of the road.
I'm not going to bore you with some sad story about someone I know who died from texting and driving or who is now in critical condition, mainly because something like that hasn't happened to me yet. However, I did come across a post on Tumblr about texting and driving and I figured she'd provide a better story about this.
Cherish Life
I've been very jumpy when dealing with cars lately. I think part of it has to do with the car accident I was in over a month ago. I'm scared to pass cars on the freeway, and am very hesitant to switch lanes in fear I might cut someone off. On my way to Grand Rapids this week, there was some construction on the freeway, and plenty of stupid drivers. One guy wouldn't let me switch lanes and I almost ran into cones! Thank heavens for brakes. And kudos to the truck driver who stopped traffic behind him so I could change lanes safely!
It's not that I'm losing faith in humanity, I just don't trust drivers as much as I use to. A shared moment of trust is exchanged when drivers pass each other every day. I read an essay by Warren Christopher for my freshman orientation about a man passing by another driver:
"As we passed each other, I caught the other driver’s eye for only a second. I wondered whether he might be thinking, as I was, how dependent we were on each other at that moment. I was relying on him not to fall asleep, not to be distracted by a cell phone conversation, not to cross over into my lane and bring my life suddenly to an end. And though we had never spoken a word to one another, he relied upon me in just the same way."
In the end, he talks about how we must rely on each other to keep everyone safe. The good faith and judgment of others keeps the world going these days, even if it's not always in the way we expect. In order for this to remain true, we need to look out for not only ourselves, but the safety of others. A car and a cell phone are easily replaceable, but a life never is.
Tionana,
Jenn