Every 15 minutes an American is killed in a traffic collision that is caused by someone under the influence of alcohol or some other drug. This week, I had the honor of basically showing my peers what it is really like: to be the victim of the crash. There are not enough words in the English dictionary to begin to explain how selfish and dangerous it is to get behind the wheel of a car and try to drive while buzzed or drunk.This program is extremely moving to me especially when i met the father of a drunk driver who is in a vegetable-like state. I had visited ICU on Wednesday and was introduced to a devastated mother and father of a young man in his late 20's from Pittsburgh. He was an engineer of some kind, had just graduated from college, and started his career out here in California. He and a buddy of his thought it would be fun to go out drinking, and then try to drive home. It was a single-car crash when he wrapped his sedan around a tree going about 60 mph. The friend walked out of the hospital with a minor concussion and a broken arm about three days ago. This son of two destroyed parents has been in ICU for seventeen days now. Imagine what he had put his parents on the 16 hour flight to California and still now. I had asked the nurse that was entertaining me while I waited for the rest of everybody if he was going to make it and she told me that he had less than a 1% chance of becoming a normal human being again because of massive brain damage. Parents should never ever bury their children. Another story involved a drunk dad pulling into his own driveway and running over his three year old daughter. All of this because of an irresponsible choice. The first thing I did after this was all over was run to my father, hug him, and while he held on tightly I told him, "whether you are in LA at Raul's or just up the street at Cousin David's, think of Steph and I before you get in the car because we love you too much for you to lose yourself like that." I had not seen him cry in years.
As depressing as it has been, I learned multiple things this week: you can never be too careful; life is precious; let nothing distract you; and live in the moment; love while you can; and there is ALWAYS a choice. If Life can be ended in the blink of an eye or a heartbeat, why do we insist on fighting, bickering, and hating each other?
There are so very little things you have control over in this world, why not control the things you are able to?
Most people do not realize the life they are given, the people who love them, the potential they hold, and the consequences that await them if they choose to drive under the influence, as well as the lives they could ruin.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!
No comments:
Post a Comment