Well Being: Family, Friends and Parties

Plan ahead.

This week has been a difficult one for Jill and I. Her (my) 59 year old nephew, David died in a motorcycle accident. Killed by a drunk driver. This is someone I have known and loved for over 45 years of my life. I don’t want to go into too many details or even give his full name for privacy reasons. But, this is a terrible blow and the impact of this will be felt for years to come, particularly for Jill’s elderly sister, who has suffered other significant losses over the years. David was a kind, generous teacher, lover of life and will be missed by so many. Motorcycles were deep in his blood. He even worked as a Harley mechanic in Europe for a while. He looked the part; barrel chested, rough beard, and always a ready smile. A life-long rider and a kind soul, he was always very aware of safety, but passionate about the freedom that came with choosing the iron horse.

David was a sitting duck when he was literally plowed into from behind at highway speed and thrown into traffic, where he was run over by several cars. The young man who killed my nephew has been charged with manslaughter, DUI charges, etc. Most likely he will serve time. His life is ruined, because he chose to drive when intoxicated.

This was a completely senseless death. All it would have taken is for this person to not drive or for someone to stop a very drunk person from getting behind the wheel of a car.

Of course, we were just about to leave for Mexico City when we got the news. So here we are with literally a month’s worth of almost non-stop travel planned- events that we really don’t wish to cancel, trying to notify family, arrange a memorial, and deal with our own grief. This is life, I know. Sometimes bad things happen, but the truth is that this bad thing didn’t have to happen.

The reason I am writing this is to remind everyone that driving when drunk or in an altered state is a hard no. Just don’t do it. Just don’t let other people do it.

The traditional holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are all right around the corner. Followed by football season. These are times when we gather with family and friends, drinks are poured, and fun is had. But please, if you know you are going to drink and you have to travel, arrange beforehand to have a ride to and from the event. Uber or a taxi are both options. Or get a friend or family member to drive you. As weird as this sounds, please plan ahead, or plan to abstain and stick to that plan. If you don’t, don’t drive. Period.

Also, if you are at an event or a party and someone is drinking or obviously “off kilter” -offer to give them a ride home or to help them find an alternative to driving. Alert another family member or friend. The point is not to make them feel bad or embarrassed, the point is to stop them from driving when drunk or high.

I know - we have all heard this message before. But this is the time of year when people die from drunk drivers or die when drunk and driving. I don’t want any of you to be a statistic.

Be well, my friends. You have survived the mass formation psychosis of 2020-2022. Please plan to continue to stay with us in 2023 and beyond!

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