Penalties of the Distracted Life
A couple of weeks ago, a story aired on the local news here in the Twin Cities of MN. It was one of those tragic stories that makes you wonder how the person involved could possibly get over what happened. The man involved backed his car over a toddler in his driveway. If I remember correctly, it was his niece or nephew.
Imagine that happening to you.
We're hearing a lot of stories about kids left in cars, dogs left in cars, and then there's the story I just related.
All of them occur because most people live lives of distraction. Their moment-to-moment activities are done without focus. Most of the time, it doesn't seem to matter, but then it does matter. For the man who backed over the toddler, it mattered. His life will never be the same. He was distracted and didn't check to make sure the path behind his car was clear. He didn't do the thing that everyone should do when getting into the car to back up. He didn't walk around the car and observe the current situation. He was distracted. The occasion was a family gathering, and he was distracted enough to forget that toddlers at such functions often toddle themselves into dangerous situations.
It can happen to anyone who lives a distracted life. We all do things that have a dangerous side. Simple everyday things like driving a car or crossing the street. Instead of focusing on that thing we're doing, we are distracted by other things. My father taught me to walk around the car before I got into it. Every time. He taught me to check carefully for obstacles and then to double check after I got into the car. Only after checking and double-checking was it OK to carefully back the car. Every time. Not just when I remembered it, but every time.
Same thing applies to kids in car seats. If you put a child in a car seat, it takes some time and movements to get that job done. You cannot put a child in a car seat without knowing that you did so. If you can forget that you did that in the time it takes to drive somewhere, you are living a distracted life. You put the child in the car seat yourself. Remember that. Pay attention to the reality of the moment you are in and avoid distractions that will make you forget that. Develop a habit of checking your car every time you get out of it. Then check your car every time. Every time. Not just when you remember. Every time.
If you're doing something, focus on doing that thing. Don't allow distraction to interfere. Driving a car, in itself, is a dangerous activity. Distraction is not compatible with that activity.
Focus on what you are doing. Engage yourself with your activities. Don't let distractions lead you into a disastrous consequence.
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