Sticking Around

I wouldn’t be able to be there for my siblings when my parents pass away. I wouldn’t get to see my little sister walk down the aisle on her wedding day. I wouldn’t get to see my little brother get his first serious girlfriend. Simple things, that don’t seem like big things now. I would completely miss out on all of this if I texted back my best friend while driving or drove home after having a few drinks.

I think some schools don’t focus on driver education at the right times. At 16, we’re all so excited to get our permits and we do everything by the book. Safe driving should be taught at all times, but 16 isn’t the most important age. I think that closer to 17 and 18 is when there should be some sort of “refresher.” After a few years of having our licessences and driving without our parents, we “forget” some of the major importances of driving.

I’ve never been in a car accident but my dad was a firefighter for many years. He went to hundreds of car accident calls and his stories always intrigued me. I always wondered what happened to the people who ended up wrapped around a tree or in a ditch, the car flipped on top of them. Most of the time, it was due to cell phones, eating while driving or passengers distracting the driver.

A scaring tactic only works for so long. Getting people to think about what they look forward to in the rest of their lives is something that will hit closer to home. Tell us that we won’t be able to walk down the aisle to the love of our lives. Or walk the stage after putting thousands of hours of hard work into our college degree. Or get a job offer from our dream employer. This would scare us more than a trip to the hospital, in my mind.

No one wants to get a call that their child was killed in a car accident. Follow the rules so that you can see your children grow and so you can meet your grandkids. That’s more important than answering the snap, I promise.

Stick around, you have your whole life ahead of you.