Ok, On to soapbox number two . . . .
After having driven a truck (not a pickup truck but a truck which weighed up to 80,000 pounds.) it often occurred to me that drivers of cars ( 4 wheelers ) don't have a clue as to how to drive. How often have you, or have you seen someone, cut in front of an 18 wheeler with only a few feet between the vehicles? Doesn't anyone remember physics? Little cars, even the yup mobiles of SUV's, don't stand up too well to receiving an 80,000 pound enema! The impact will hurt. There is no question about it. You get hit by 80,000 pounds in the back end you will more than likely be taking a trip to the hospital for a few days/months, or a one way trip to talk with the worms. Why don't people respect these vehicles more? It makes no sense. Trucks are large, they take a lot of room to maneuver yet people driving in the vicinity try to squeeze next to them in a turn, drive on the side of them for long periods of time, or cut in front of the vehicles. Do you know how long it takes to safely stop 80,000 pounds moving at 55 MPH? It is just over 400 feet! At 30 MPH the safe stopping distance is just under 200 feet! Remember, you must allow for the time it takes for the brain to acknowledge the action needed as well as the time for the brakes to be applied. Air brakes do not activate immediately like you car brakes activate. When you depress the brake pedal it could take 1/2 to 1 second before the brakes actually start slowing down the vehicle. At 55 miles per hour, the vehicle is traveling at about 80 feet per second! Let the driver of a car get into an accident and they cry to momma that the truck was in their way and that something should be done about trucks and truck drivers. I submit that that the United States government should do something about automobile drivers. Make strict regulations regarding who can drive, heavier fines for stupid maneuvers on the road. If you cause an accident by forcing a truck off the road or, because the driver did not want to kill you, cause the driver to hit another vehicle or object, you should permanently lose your driving privileges. Remember, driving an automobile is a PRIVILEGE, not a right. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that you have the right to drive!
This was my first soapbox ...... From back in the 3rd quarter of 2004. Although it is old, and things have predictably deteriorated, it is still valid. It is also a good learning tool. Rule of thumb, never again get involved ... with that said, here it is:
#1
The last few months have been filled with a lot of stress for me. This leads me to my first soapbox. Lies!
I hate lies. Lies and deceit just get you into trouble. History has proven that lying doesn't pay. So you might ask, why do people still lie? Lying hurts. Lying hurts the people you love and the people who love you. I have two words to say about this:
STOP IT!
Nobody is perfect. I'm not perfect, I'm far from it, but I am me. I don't deserve to be lied to and I will not lie. My friends are not perfect and I don't expect them to be. But you know something? They are still my friends and are still in my life. I can't say for sure why, but I have a suspicion that it is because of Rule #1.
Rule #1: I don't lie and I don't expect any of my friends to lie to me.
We are still friends because if, and when, we screw up we fess up! Telling the truth sometimes hurts. Sometimes the pain is unbearable and downright embarrassing. But do you know what is worse? After years of friendship, finding out that the friendship you had was based on lies. This hurts more than you could imagine.
It is sad at times to watch a friend spiral down out of control, to nothing, from the once high position that they had achieved as a result of lies and deceit. Getting so wrapped up in lies that they are oblivious to the lies being told. Such a destructive pattern which unfortunately repeats itself all to often. The only thing that these lies do is give them a short term gratification until they eventually fess up and tell the truth or lose their friends. Sometimes fences can be mended, sometimes it takes a while, sometimes the hurt is just too much.
The first step, STOP LYING! Better yet, don't start. Lies are like potato chips, once you start you can't stop. They are also like the plague.