Thou Shalt Not...

...TEXT WHILE DRIVING!!!! So, I admit it, I was one of those who, despite the law, would text while driving. I know my mother is furious as she's reading this, because time & time again she would tell me that I needed to stop, but for some reason I chose the opposite. I have Kathy Klein to thank. For 2 reasons I have CHOSEN to stop texting while driving. 1: I watched a video Kathy had shared with me, and it touched me deeply; and 2: Kathy said she'd find my mom in my friends on Facebook & tell her that I was texting while driving. I don't want the wrath of Kathy and I surely don't want the wrath of my mom, so I have CHOSEN to no longer, ever again, text while driving.

It goes so much deeper than this. Please take 10 minutes out of your day & watch the video that AT&T put together about Texting & Driving. You can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs

When I watched this video, a lot of emotions were sparked within me. There are many things in my life that I am passionate about. Many of the things I'm passionate about are because I've had personal experience, or I really believe deeply about something. I began thinking about the things I am most passionate about, 2 of them being related to driving and laws that have been put in place. One is driving under the influence and the other is the seat belt law. I have seen the 1st hand effects of people not following these laws, and because of that, I care deeply about sharing their stories and trying to keep others from breaking these laws. A friend, Casey Goodwin, was killed in a head on collision caused by an 18 year old drunk driver as she was on her way home from college to surprise her mom for her birthday. She had talked to her mom on the phone just 12 minutes before she was killed. Casey was killed because someone made the decision to drink and drive. Both illegal actions, he was a minor & his blood alcohol content was outrageous! He CHOSE to do this. Within the same year, my friend Kyle Goodwin, Casey's younger brother, was killed in a solo car accident as he lost control of his car in the early morning hours, Kyle did not have his seatbelt on. His best friend was in the passenger seat and survived the accident without any issues, Kyle was ejected from the vehicle and killed. If Kyle had CHOSEN to wear his seatbelt, it's more than likely that he would still be with us today.

I questioned myself as I watched the The Last Text Message video. With the other tragedies I have seen the effects of, why would I ever want to have the potential of causing my own? By CHOOSING to pick up my phone and text someone, I am CHOOSING to potentially end my own life, or the life (or lives) of the innocent. When other people are texting and driving, they are CHOOSING to possibly end my life, or severely impact my life in ways I don't even want to imagine. I don't want to be responsible for your death either, so DON'T TEXT WHILE DRIVING. I'm not sure I could live with myself if investigators proved that you were texting while driving and I was the one you were texting.

Life is far more important than the need to text. We are so caught up in having to be immediate responders, but what can't possibly wait 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 minutes? I have a blue tooth, if someone needs me, they can call me. If you text me & I'm not responding, please, call me.

I WILL NO LONGER TEXT WHILE DRIVING....please join me and vow to do the same.

Why I'm Here

I recently have felt the need to write, but haven't found the time. By the time I finally got around to logging into my blog, Blogger informed me it had been so long since I had last logged in, that I must now start a new one. So here's to my new blog!! Hopefully new & improved :-)   Writing is very therapeutic for me, and I have no clue why I haven't posted anything since July of 2009. I'm excited to have a blog again, and I hope that those of you who follow enjoy the things I have to share.