ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

You might be thinking I was posting about a music group or the title of a song. Wrong! Last night, late, my son-in-law was driving up to northern California after a long day at work where he drives to and from different locations all day long. He arrived in Crescent City (almost) way after midnight but not before falling asleep at the wheel and wrecking his car. Fortunately, he was not hurt. We don't know if the car is drivable or not so the rest of my weekend is on hold until we find out if we have to make a trip up north to pick them up and bring them home.

This weekend, traditionally, is the start of the summer driving and vacations. There are always statistics when the weekend is over showing how many accidents and fatalities there have been. Fortunately, our family is not part of the latter. But, there are probably some families that will not be receiving such "good" news this weekend.

I hesitated writing about this, thinking that this wasn't "blog worthy". I did a search for "the meaning of the word BLOG" and basically, there were three definitions.

1. Web Log
2. Better Listings on Google
3. Big load of Gossip

I know for sure that this is not Number 2. And, it sort of fits into the category of Number 3 except that I consider gossip to be malicious. The definition says that "it is conversation about the personal details of other people's lives whether rumor or fact (this applies) especially when malicious (this does not). But yet there is another definition that says "informal conversation or writing about recent and often personal events (this applies). So, I guess this fits the category Big Load of Gossip too.

But, I like to think of it being most appropriately category Number 1: Web log. After all, that is what this is: a log. A log about things that we see, things that are important to us, things that we are interested in, things that spark creativity in us, etc. Often something that happens to a person will spark a piece of art. Art is basically an emotional response to something. Artists are usually on the forefront of what is happening in the world or their neighborhoods. Lots of neighborhoods that are derelict have been revitalized by artists who have moved in, staked their claim (so-to-speak), and have made a less desirable area now much more valuable and appealing. You can find examples all over big cities (and small). These areas were once places that no one wanted or wanted to live in. Now, you can find lofts, warehouses, storefronts, etc. that are high-end and highly desirable.

So, do I Blog just useless, senseless pictures that I think you might be interested in and you really are not? Probably! But, do those "useless" pictures and words contribute to something that I feel is for "the greater good"? Most definitely! It is the discourse that we, as a group, have. And, besides the discourse, there is a community of caring people that share unique ideas and thoughts with each other. These thoughts might lead to a collage. They might lead to a poem. They might lead to a photograph or even spark something in us that we had not previously been aware of.

Compassion is at the heart of these blogs that I follow. I see poems by Brian Miller who tells of gut-wrenching feelings after coming up to an accident where a child has been thrown from a car. I see photos by M. Heart of a mouse that has been captured in a humane way and released into the woods, safe and sound and unharmed. I see poetry by Willow about a mocking bird and the feelings that this poem evokes in memories from a family history research project. I see pictures of like-minded artists who have done multi-media pieces that have been inspired by the same subject basically: seed pods and nature by Art Propelled.

So, what is my point here exactly? My point is that I feel that what we post is important, no matter how insignificant it might seem, as long as it tells a story and has compassion in it. I think another caveat should be that it isn't ALL about ME. In that I mean self-centered, self-aggrandizing. There should be some higher good or something to learn from what I post.

This is my own personal reason about why I Blog. Perhaps it is not your response to it and to that I say: to each his own. We are all unique and we all do it for different reasons. I just tend to analyze things. Is this wrong? Not for me. This is how I learn. This is how I grow. This is WHY I BLOG. And, I try not to be ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.

I told my daughter this morning (when she was feeling guilty that she did not ride up with her husband because she was anxious to get there and didn't want to wait a couple more hours) that sometimes a few hours at one end is much more beneficial. Those couple of hours that she was not willing to wait, could have been the difference between her husband's accident or not. It could have happened to both of them too. There really is no way to tell which way things are meant to happen. That is the future and we can't predict that. But, it's something like this really wakes you up and makes you so much more aware of what you have to lose in life. And the importance of making sure that you say and do everything that you want to say or do so that you don't feel guilty later. Life is too short for regrets. Live life to the fullest, be kind to those you know and those you don't, and always send forth love.

These are important lessons for me today. This incident has made me keenly aware of the fact that I do not want to be ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL the rest of my life. It woke me up. Thanks Joel for the lesson. How does that saying go? "Into each life a little rain must fall". How true!

Here's a quote from a graduation card I picked up today. I loved the words!

WISDOM FOR A GOOD LIFE

AS YOU GO OUT TO REMAKE THE WORLD,

I OFFER THE FOLLOWING BITS OF WISDOM--

KEEP LEARNING,

STAY AWAKE TO AMAZEMENT,

BE KIND RATHER THAN RIGHT,

AND, REMEMBER,

WHILE YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH THIS NOW,

BEING LOVED IS BETTER THAN BEING RICH.

Willow Street Greeting cards by Brian Burns

Written by Lisa Rice Wheeler