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Ministry myThoughts

I have my light on

If you read my recent post I got hit by a car! then you already know the story behind the title of this post. But to recap – I was recently hit by a car while riding my bike home. It was a very low speed collision and no one was hurt. My bike had some damage, but nothing major. When it happened it was after sunset and at the moment of impact my first thought was “I have my light on!” I even shouted that fact out as I pulled my bike out from under the bumper of the truck. The driver got out of his vehicle and was very shaken by the impact. I can only image what was going through his mind at the moment he hit me. But the question I find myself asking is what was going through my mind. Let me explain what I meant when I shouted “I have my light on” – I wasn’t in shock, I was upset.

I know it was dark but the street was well lit and my bike had my laptop pannier (saddle bag) that is a bright reflective yellow color on the side as well as the fact that I had the required-by-law headlight on the front handle bars. When I said “I have my light on!” what I was really saying is “How did you not see me! I’m 300lbs of mass heading your way AND I HAVE A LIGHT ON!”

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Events myThoughts

I got hit by a car!

It happened on the 14th – and I should have written something then, but better late than never…

I was going to ride my bike all the way to and from work that day, but I got a late start. Often when I am running late (i.e. over slept) I just take the car, but today Stephanie had to have the car for a doctor’s appointment. So I offered a compromise that Stephanie would take me and my bike as far as she could on the way to her doctors appointment and I would ride the rest of the way. In the confusion that followed I forgot to get my helmet and gloves. Stephanie took me about twelve miles toward my work — I rode (without a helmet) the other seven miles to work. It was uneventful, except for the fact that I had never taken this route before and there wasn’t a bike lane for most of it. After work, I was not so lucky.

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myThoughts

I SLAP’ed Santa!

OK – Before you get all worked up, I didn’t physically attack Santa, but I did SLAP him.  Let me explain – do you remember the “Pay It Forward” movie with the concept of paying good deeds ‘forward’ to strangers rather than ‘back’ to your friends or family?  Well ‘SLAP It Forward’ is based on the same idea.

Social Liability for Actions in Public (SLAP) is based on the idea that although we have the right to act like jerks in public, it cannot be without consequence.  The next time you see someone acting like an idiot in public, SLAP ’em!  Call them out on it; let them know its not OK to act that way.  I know people say you can’t do that now-a-days because you could get shot, but I say the fact that we don’t hold people accountable for their actions is why you could get shot.  I’m going to be part of the solution, not part of the problem – I SLAP’ed Santa!