Thankful for good brakes

We were recently at a local favorite ice cream shop in Newport, Vermont. 

 It is located on the main street of town, on the corner of a parking lot.  The seating for the customers in in a section of the parking lot.  To get to it, you have to cross the entrance area into the parking lot.

 It was a very busy night, the tables and benches were all full and children were everywhere.  All of a sudden a green car whipped around the corner, from the street into the parking lot and slammed on its brakes.  My mom and I happened to be facing the direction of the parking entrance and immediately took in the situation.

 There had been a grandfather, son, and young daughter over by the edge of the building.  While the two men were chatting, the little girl had wandered just a bit too far into the entranceway… and the car almost hit her.  I can tell you, we were all thankful for good brakes!

 When the car came to a sudden stop, the two men looked up and realized that the little girl had almost gotten hit.  They were shocked.  The father scooped up his daughter and the grandfather, waved and said “I’m sorry” to the driver. 

 As the car moved slowly into the parking lot, I could see the daddy explaining to his daughter about road safety and cars.  She was only three or so.  I’m not sure she quite grasped the concept of what had just happened.

 I was watching for the driver to head over to the ice cream shop.  I considered going over to thank him for his keen observation skills and quick reactions.  It was a few minutes before I saw him.  He and his girlfriend approached the men to ask if the little girl was okay.  Then he shook both of their hands and the pair went to the ice cream window.

 The driver was visibly shook up.  It must have been a very scary moment for him and probably took those few minutes to get himself together.  Can you imagine?  This story could have had a much different ending.

 It’s the height of summer.  Children sometimes are so wrapped up in being kids and enjoying themselves that they are not aware of the dangers around them.  It is up to the adults to ensure the safety of the children in our lives. 

·         Parents: keep a close eye on your children.  Help them stay safe.

·         Drivers: stay alert.  You never know when a child might step out in front on your car.

 We are all thankful that the driver of the green car was looking where he was going and that his car had good brakes.

*Pam Horton is a Board Certified Parenting Coach in the Raleigh area.*

In the out door

Do you ever try to exit a building, through the exit door, only to have to wait for people coming IN the out door to clear the doorway?  I actually watched someone walk past the entrance to go in the out door.  What is up with that?

 I’ll admit, I have been accused of being a “rule follower.”  Although, if you asked my parents about my teen/early twenties years they would tell you I was not a rule follower then.  Now, yes, I tend to follow the rules.  I certainly go in the entrance and out the exit doors.  If everyone used the proper doors in the proper flow there would be much less backup at doorways. 

 My question is… Why can’t people use the proper door?  Is it because

·         People are too busy to pay attention

On their phones

Deep in conversation

·         Some people just don’t care

About anyone other than themselves

How their actions might affect others

·         The rules don’t apply to everyone

Especially them

Entitlement?

 If it’s because people are too busy to pay attention, that could actually be dangerous.  If we aren’t paying attention to where we are walking we could trip, fall and get hurt.  People also might walk into something, or someone, or even in front of a car.  Please pay attention to your surroundings.

 If it’s because people don’t care, that’s not good either.  We should care about our actions, and be responsible for them.  We should care about other people and if they are doing okay.  We could use more caring people in the world these days.

 The idea that the rules don’t apply to everyone is just plain incorrect.  It may seem that way sometimes, but there are consequences (good or bad) for our actions.

 This may seem to be a blog about foot traffic patterns, but in reality, this behavior may be happening in other areas of your life too.  You see, it’s a mindset that makes it okay to go in the out door.

 If you happen to recognize yourself as someone who goes in the out door, or whatever door they want, maybe it’s time to reconsider your travel path.  Just sayin’.

*PamHorton is a Board Certified Advanced Christian Life Coach, in the Raleigh area.*

Safety in numbers

Back when I was in my late teens/early twenties (many moons ago), I lived in a city and walked to and from work.  Depending on which job I was going to, it may have been in daylight or it may have been in the wee hours of the morning.  Most times it was just me, myself, and I walking to work alone.

The times they are a changin’!  There is no stinkin’ way I would walk anywhere alone these days, night or day.  The world has become a more dangerous place since I was a teenager.  I always advise people, young or old, to have a friend with them.  I mean, if the military insists on their folks having a “buddy” when they go places, civilians SURE oughta.

A while back, I was out in the yard and heard quite a ruckus overhead.  I witnessed a larger bird seemingly trying to get into a tree that had a nest in it.  I would guess the nest didn’t belong to the big bird, because two smaller birds were attempting to chase the big bird away.

This went on for a couple of minutes.  The smaller pair was successful at keeping the bigger bird away from the tree, but the big bird kept coming back and trying to get into the tree.  Eventually, another 4 (or so) smaller birds joined the fray and they were finally successful in chasing the bigger bird away.  He didn’t come back the entire time I was outside, that day anyway.

My first thought was, “Wow, will ya look at that!  The big bird was chased away by the smaller birds.  I have to blog about their being safety in numbers.”  It’s true, since I put out a weekly blog, I am always thinking of how something I saw, or did, can be put into a blog for the benefit of others.

There you have it, my beneficial insight for this week…

Remember, even if you are the smaller creature, you can conquer the giant in your life.  Get some trusted friends and go after it.  There is safety in numbers.

*Pam Horton is a Board Certified Advanced Christian Life Coach, in the Raleigh area.*

The grass is always greener…

This is a picture (as taken) of my parent’s property, in Vermont.  Jim and I both remarked, “Look how green everything is!”

Then we discussed how much rain they have had this spring.  They’ve had so much rain, and cool temperatures, this past May/June that they seldom had the opportunity to mow the grass. To look at the picture though, it’s wonderful.

How often do we have a “the grass is greener over there” thought?  We all do it.  We compare what we have to what others have and find ourselves lacking.  What we seldom stop to think about is the work, hardship, or diligence that probably went into that person’s “greener grass.”

Yes, there are those lucky few who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths; everything seems to go their way.  Even those people have to work to maintain what they have.  How many rich and/or famous people have squandered their resources by poor judgement?  Lots.

The rest of us have to work to get what we need or want.  Many times the person with the greener grass has learned the value of hard work, or patience, or maybe the recovery from hard knocks that life can throw at you.

Let’s not be envious, jealous, or angry about our neighbors “greener grass.”  Let’s rejoice with them for the things that are going good with them.  If you would like to have “greener grass,” go ahead and ask them how they achieved the thing you would like to achieve as well.  Chances are they’d be happy to share their knowledge with you.

If you happen to be the person with the greener grass, share your knowledge when someone asks for assistance.  Even if all you did was do things inside for two months because it rained so much.  You endured with patience.  It could be the person you are talking to is going through their own storm right now and knowing they can endure it with patience and, eventually, the storm will pass and the sun will come out may be exactly what they need to hear. 

You just never know what people are going through when you talk with them.

*Pam Horton is a Board Certified Advanced Christian Life Coach, in the Raleigh area.*