Learn to Slow Down & Appreciate Life

Slow Down. Be Safe.

With age, comes wisdom. At least that’s what “they” say.

But, just so recently I’ve come to realize that with my ever-climbing age, I’ve started to drive like a grandma. Not your blind as a bat, run over every curb and hit a few cars while backing out of the handicap spot at Wal-Mart kinda grandma, just your S L O W as heck grandmama.

I mean about 6 years ago, I was a speed demon and more often than not, I didn’t think of consequences. I’m no Dale Earnhardt Jr. or anything but, I sure did like to speed. Now that, I’m driving an auto-tranny Mini-van and two kids later, I’m much, much more aware of my mortality. That and I really, really miss driving stick.

But, back to the moral of the story here.

Just yesterday Hubby and I were driving home with girls in tow from a day of shopping. For a few minutes there was a Nissan Quest tailing us and we came to a stop light. We decided to go straight through into a residential area to get home opposed to turning left onto a main street. So, we’re talking about 40 km/hour here and the Quest decides to go straight too. Still riding on our ass all the way, mind you, we were going 50 and this lady was still riding us. She did this for quite a few blocks.

Next thing you know she’s hitting the gas and trying to cut us off and what’s worse she attempted to do this while there was a really big bend in the road. To add insult to injury, there was a car coming around the bend coming towards us.

We literally came within centimetres of crashing. This lady throws her hands up in the air in anger and mouthing, what I’m positive, were obscenities towards us. She had to swerve just as bad as we swerved to avoid from crashing and then had to swerve to not hit the oncoming cars. She then decided to horn blast us and fall back behind us to continue tailing us.

We finally came to a stop sign and she pulled off to the left and hit the gas, doing at least 70-80 km/hr in a residential zone.

All I could think is that this women was a complete and utter shameful imbecile. I wish I could have gotten out of the car (I almost did) and gave her a piece of my mind.

To ask her, how would she feel if she caused a crash that killed my 7 month-old baby or my 6 year-old daughter, or if she caused those two little girls to live without a mother or father or if we survived as paraplegic parents?

What if when she was driving 70 km/hr down a busy neighborhood filled with children, she hits one of them and kills them? Not to mention her own safety on top of it all.

I’ve learned to slow down. To be lighter on the gas and I did it all because I know how precious life is. I know how much I adore my children and want to see them grow and go through all the beautiful milestones that every child has the right to have.

I also know how much my kids need me and how it isn’t fair for someone to take any of that away because they’re running late, distracted or in a hurry to do something. Also, completely unrelated to my story, I’ve learned to not text while driving or talking on the phone unless I’m on my bluetooth which I do very rarely as it is.

I’m going to share a video with you guys, perhaps you’ve seen it, perhaps you haven’t. But, I suggest that you do.

Why?

Because you need to be affected. You need to see the severity and bitter consequence it has to both the victim and the one who was careless. I know that at one point, we are all careless. I hope this makes you think twice.

I warn you it is very graphic. The video is a compilation of dramatizations and REAL footage.

Again, it’s VERY GRAPHIC.

That’s a doozy huh?

That’s why I’m that mini-van doing 10 above the speed limit. It’s also why I tell my husband and family, it’s better to arrive late than never. Who cares the consequences of tardiness. Plan better. Leave earlier and if one day you can’t, I’m sure your boss will understand.

I may drive like a granny and though I cannot control other drivers, I’m going to drive as cautiously as I can. So, crazy-fro, irresponsible MOM in the grey Nissan Quest, how dare you and you have been formally invited to bite me.

I really do hope she doesn’t learn the hard way.

I’m sure we’ve all had close calls and have been on both ends of this. Some more than others, how has your driving changed when you became a parent? Has it changed at all? Well, let me know!

Til then, cheers m’deres!

Nancy Polanco

Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela, and wife to Darasak. They all share her insatiable wanderlust, enjoyment of good food, and sharing their adventures with the world. Nancy is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.