The good Lord knows I’m an imperfect soul.
On the morning of Sunday, June 16, I proved it.
I was out for a run. I was on Westham Parkway. My road position was left side facing traffic next to the shoulder of the road.
To my left, I noted a bicycle rider pedaling up a hill on a side street. The rider was an adult and not wearing a helmet.
I curiously shouted out to him, “where is your helmet?”
The rider shouted back to me, “whatever.”
And I responded with “have a nice day.”
I know my original question agitated him. He kept spewing unintelligible words.
As I kept running, I thought about how I might respond if the rider rode up behind me.
Clearly, I was out of line with my helmet question.
But despite my long list of imperfections, I do try to adhere to the well-established basic rules of the road.
And in my attempt to follow the rules of the road, I’m perplexed at how many instances I come across where other drivers, walkers, runners, bicycle and motorcycle riders disregard rules designed to protect all of us.
Thursday afternoon May 23, I was on I-95 north. I was on my way home from a Habitat For Humanity Unity Build celebration. Two motorcycle riders traveling at a high rate of speed were weaving in and out of the narrow openings in the lanes between cars. Seemingly, they had no concern about their unsafe maneuvering.
Saturday, morning May 25, I was at our church in the Veterans Memorial Garden. I was weeding. I looked up, a car had just turned on to Forest Avenue from Rock Creek Road. The driver waved a friendly wave, and I waved back. A few seconds later, I looked up Forest Avenue and witnessed a driver speeding past the friendly waver. To accomplish the passing, this impatient driver crossed over the double yellow lines on a blind incline.
Last week, my wife and I were returning from visiting friends in Maryland. We were stopped at an intersection that had a clearly posted sign—no right turn on red. Three consecutive drivers approached the red stoplight, and made the right on red.
On the same morning, I asked my bike helmet question, I drove up behind a neighbor walking his dog. The neighbor was walking with traffic. I saw him as I came around a slight curve and incline. The wrong driver, and the wrong set of circumstances, my neighbor and his loyal dog could have been turned into pancakes on the asphalt.
I am perplexed at our disregard for basic rules of the road. Why do we want to jeopardize our safety?
How many times have you been at a stop light, stop sign, or yield sign, and witnessed a close call because another driver barreled through in total disregard of the basic rule of the road?
Where does this disregard and disrespect for ourselves and others come from?
Where has our sense of responsibility, cooperation, and compliance gone?
Are these qualities following the same decline as dignity, civility, decorum, and respect?
How much of this erosion comes from our elected officials?
What does it say about a country whose justice system finds a former president guilty on 34 felony counts, and a few days later supporters of this person have raised $52 million dollars toward electing him into office again.
What does it say about a country and its inability to solve its longstanding drug and firearm problems to have the son of our current president convicted of three felonies related to drugs, firearms, and neglect for telling the truth.
What does it say about a country where a representative in a congressional hearing can verbally attack Dr. Anthony Fauci with these remarks: “You’re not a doctor. You’re Mr. Fauci.” Followed by “I don’t need your answer. You should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.”
No matter if it is a basic safety rule of the road, 34 felonies, 3 felonies, or belittling a fellow citizen, we recklessly and without conscience— disregard.
America has never been perfect in attempting to form a more perfect union. Sooner or later our imperfections surface.
At this moment, our flaws are directly in front of us, and it is as if we are wearing blinders, unwilling to acknowledge their presence.
Helen Keller once stated: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”
How many times in my life have I had sight, but no vision?
Yes, I was out of line asking the bicycle rider my helmet question.
Yet, his “whatever” response aligns with Helen Keller’s wisdom—the bicycle rider had sight, but no vision for the potential danger he put himself in during his ride.
Our vision can’t disregard the challenges our country is facing.
Nor can our lack of vision let our response to these challenges be “whatever.”
might be baloney 