Hearing Their Stories

Hearing
Their Stories

My
perspective was forever changed by the “It Can Wait” project,
when I watched as my fellow teen drivers were confronted by someone
whose life had been unfairly changed within a single moment. The
teens were seated facing a single empty chair. The interviewer began
by asking them about their driving habits. With a casual, almost
flippant air, most teens shared that they do look at their phones,
knowing full well that they shouldn’t but still do, because who
doesn’t? Then they brought her in. This young womens clearly
paralyzed body sat, her face impassive, in front of nervous teens as
she explained how while driving home from her college graduation, her
and her parents were hit by a distracted driver, instantly killing
her parents, and leaving her paralyzed. She continued to share her
story, recalling the hurt and fear she felt as her family was
suddenly ripped apart, the tears flowed freely out of every teens
eyes, their faces red, eyes downcast- not able to look her in the
eyes. Guilt. Yet no judgement came from the audience- we all had made
the mistakes that were the root of their guilt. She described how she
relearned the act of dressing herself, feeding herself, walking and
talking- her voice so warm and calm, yet the words she spoke seemed
harsh, unrelenting as they laid down blows on the flustered teens.
Shame draped thickly across the scene as she finished, “and I
didn’t have my daddy to walk me down the aisle when I got married”.

“Was
that too much?” I wondered as the room fell silent, save for the
sniffling and stifled sobs. “Did she have to embarrass those kids
like that. Share such a sad story?”. Yes. She did, it was her
greatest fear that others may have to go through what she had to. She
had a story that would change so many drivers’ understanding of the
responsibility they hold, the effect their dangerous habits can have
on innocent bystanders. With this new understanding for the
implications of having a license, I, like many others that heard her
story, vowed to always maintain the highest of standards when
driving. Not just for myself, but for my family and friends that text
and drive. I learned to take it upon myself to be the stick in the
mud that may save lives, ask others to stay off their phone, offer to
be the designated road trip DJ, not starting

the
car until all seat belts are on. Too many distracted driving habits
become normalized over time, justified by the number of our peers
doing them and all the times we’ve done them with no consequences.
I fear drivers ed has become too casual, too focused on just
finishing with a license in hand. Stories like this young womens
need to be shared with drivers as they take to the road, so they will
fully understand how their small, seemingly harmless, actions can
destroy so many people’s lives.