I haven't posted a blog since December of last year, but when it comes to something as important as texting and driving I have a need to say something. I've mentioned it in the past and I'll mention it again; I was a serial text driver. And not only texting - this included reading email, checking online posts, etc. etc. Why do it? What's so important that it can't wait? Perhaps your dog is at the vet and you're waiting for that very important call that he's made out of surgery okay. Perhaps your employer is calling or texting you with a very important errand to run. Or perhaps you didn't have a phone to begin with? It can wait.. No matter how serious the information is on the other end of that message. I've had Facebook friends that have passed on, and while they're not people I would consider "personal" friends, they were friends in my Facebook world. We're human - so when I read about someone on Facebook who has died because they were texting and driving - it kicks me in the gut. AT&T has released a video I encourage everyone to watch. They have released this in conjunction with their 5th Anniversary of the "it can wait" campaign.
No Post Is Worth A Life!
At 6:30 PM on June 2, 2011 I made a promise to never text and drive ever again. Do the same - save a life. If not your own, do it for those you can seriously hurt.
Yesterday, as you may recall, I made a promise to myself that I would never text while driving again.
As I got into my car, and drove out of the parking garage at work, I received a Facebook message alert on my phone. I immediately picked it up, and by force of habit started to reply, while at the same time looking down, looking up, "making sure" I didn't pass a stop sign, and run over a pedestrian. At that time, a lightbulb clicked in my head, and I remembered, NO MORE TEXTING. "But it's Facebook, I'm not texting anyone," I told myself, as I continued towards a stoplight.
Without hesitation, I immediately, and purposefully threw my phone the furthest away from me that I could - onto the other side of my passenger side seat (where I knew I couldn't reach it). I assured myself, that I wasn't going to risk my life or the lives of others any longer. I made a promise to myself, and to the world yesterday, And I was not going to break this promise.
In a few months, my sister Victoria, will be giving birth to her firstborn child - Ryan and I will become uncles for the first time, and there is no way in hell I'm going to risk losing each other's lives, because I played with a piece of technology. I think I can last 30 minutes to an hour without a phone, it will not kill me, but driving with it will.
At 6:30 PM today will be one whole day since I've stuck with my promise, and I will continue to do so, so long as I live.
If there is one video you should watch, this one's it - it's chilling, it will make you cry, and it will affect you in more ways than one. Please watch it.
Okay, I'll be honest. I haven't been a strong supporter of this, because I'm always fumbling with my phone while driving. I'll say it again, I text while driving, And so do many millions of other people around the world, primarily teens. After watching this video, I'm seriously re-evaluating how I use my phone while driving, and this includes multi-tasking.
In this UK public service announcement, a girl is texting her friend James, while her other friends are in the car with her. Within seconds, she's not only managed to kill her friends, but she's managed to kill several other people on the highway, including the parents of a baby and a child.
If you don't want to see the video, because you feel what I'm saying is rubbish, then your life, your family's, and your friends' lives are in your hands. After watching this video this morning, I can promise you now, I will never be texting while driving again. And if I'm driving with others, I will let another passenger text for me while I drive. Three weeks ago, a co-worker's son lost his God-daughter to texting and driving. It was really hard watching my co-worker grieve during this period. I can't imagine losing someone at the young age of 17, it is beyond anything I could ever comprehend.
I have organized my blogs with 3 days worth of postings, so if you wish to continue reading the days before that, and so forth and so forth, you can click the "Older Posts" button /\ /\ /\ right /\ up there.
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*Clicking on any of the links under my "Favorite Categories" section on the left hand side of your screen
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Hope you enjoy my daily posts, and hope to hear from you soon.
