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Life, Parenting And Relationships

On The Axis

Anthony Dixon

 

 

Coordinates of Life

It doesn’t matter whether you turned 18 in the 1800s or 1972 or 2000 we all went through the same doubts, insecurity and confusion. We are not Kids anymore yet we are not Adults in the true sense, young Adults maybe, some of us never crossed the Threshold. Crossing over into Adulthood is a big step, it means taking responsibility for everything from here on in. If you choose to use Drugs or Alcohol be aware that for each action there is a reaction, whether Behavioural Psychological or Health and they all have Consequences.

 

I started smoking Cigarettes at fourteen fifty years later COPD, Emphysema, Marijuana at fourteen, Inertia all through High School, it distracted me from Shakespeare and put me in Edgar Allan Poe’s World, Beer at fourteen Alcoholic at nineteen. Worst of all I was a sneak, living under a Christian Woman’s Roof. Luckily I was able to overcome all but the Cigarettes by twenty one, yeah but at what Price wanting to prove to myself that I was a Man I blew the learning years. By the time that I realized the Importance of a College Education the Window of opportunity was closed. Luckily I broke away from my influences before twenty one, I could have been a Bum for the rest of my Life. In Life your associations picks you up or drag you down, choose them wisely. Don’t be a Sheep in the Herd, be the Shepard.

 

Peer Pressure is worse than any Addiction it makes you do things that you ordinarily wouldn’t  have even thought of on your own, don’t fall for the Trap, if you love me or if you want to be with me. In High School we had a saying ” instead of pulling themselves out of the Hole they are in a Junkie will pull you in”, part of making the Transition into Adulthood is being your own Person ( Individuality) then there is Responsibility. To me Responsibility is the hardest part about Being an Adult, being an Adult means that now you have to fend for yourself( provide, care and protect yourself) that is why you should not be in a hurry to agitate your Parents with bad behavior, while they are putting a Roof over your head and food in your Stomach, they have your best interest at Heart.

 

Ask anyone in College who are working their way through School. Fending for yourself without a Proper Education is scrounging Bottom. Don’t be in such a hurry to be Kicked out on your own. Most Parents will support their kids late into their twenties and some Beyond. I once lived next door to a fifty years old Man who lived off his seventy five years old Mother. He lost his Driving Privileges through DUI. Not being able to Drive himself to Work made him a Dependent, he wasn’t even ambitious enough to take any job within walking distance. Being a Dependent all your Life is choosing not to cross the Threshold. Remember the word Responsibility.

 

The awkward years are difficult for anyone, remember childhood isn’t far behind and the challenges of Adulthood is right in front of you, take time relishing your youth, while making Bold smart steps into Adulthood. As soon as you look around the years are gone and you are now your Parents Reflection, a Parent yourself with the Headaches of raising a Child who knows everything, I was that Child. At fourteen I knew everything including how to get stoned on weed, who did it hurt but me, who suffered from Inertia, me, what did I gained, nothing, what did I loose everything, the chance of being a Scholar and an Author.

 

Instead I did what I had to do to make a Living to support the Family I could not wait to have, Finding out fifty years later that I like sharing my Thoughts and a Vivid Imagination is an essential for Writing. To be eighteen again I wouldn’t have  blown precious youth in hurrying to grow old. I would have taken  time to smell the Roses before I became addicted to Coffee and Nicotine. At the end of writing this Blog I just Learned that Teens Smoking went up 80% . If Jumping off the San Francisco Bridge was Trending, would you be there. Vaping is Trending please don’t Jump, its just as bad as Nicotine or worse, it gives you Popcorn Lunges. Chart your Course follow your chosen Path because the Axis of Life fades like Footprints in the Sand. Making the right choices dictates the rest of your Life, Eighteen is your fork in the Road choose wisely.

 

 

Insights from Alice Cooper

 

Lines form on my face and hands

Lines form from the ups and downs

I’m in the middle without any plans

I’m a boy and I’m a man

I’m eighteen

And I don’t know what I want

Eighteen

I just don’t know what I want

Eighteen

I gotta get away

I gotta get out of this place

I’ll go runnin’ in outer space

Oh yeah

I got a

Baby’s brain and an old man’s heart

Took eighteen years to get this far

Don’t always know what I’m talkin’ about

Feels like I’m livin’ in the middle of doubt

‘Cause I’m

Eighteen

I get confused every day

Eighteen

I just don’t know what to say

Eighteen

I gotta get away

Lines form on my face and my hands

Lines form on the left and right

I’m in the middle

The middle of life

I’m a boy and I’m a man

I’m eighteen and I like it

Yes I like it

Oh I like it

Love it

Like it

Love it

Eighteen!

Eighteen!

Eighteen!

Eighteen and I like it


Songwriters: Alice Cooper / Dennis Dunaway

Life, Parenting And Relationships

Fell Asleep At The Wheel

Anthony Dixon

 

Nikolas Cruz
Killed 17 fellow Students

 

 

Fell Asleep At The Wheel

Several Months ago I wrote a Blog about Inept People in the workplace that Blog is still pending. Over the past couple of Months I have been following the Story about Nikolas Cruz, he is a young Man with a Troubled past who had sent his Guardians, his friends, his School and the world messages, even on Facebook that he was a stick of Dynamite waiting to Blow. No one read the Signals, one Day the Powder keg Blew. On February 14 2018 Cruz went to School carrying what was visibly a Rifle Bag, I am just about certain that the School Monitor told Authorities that he saw the Bag and identified it as a Rifle Bag. The Monitor’s failure to approach Cruz and ask him to open the Bag was just one Fatal piece of the series of ineptness of all involved, that allowed Cruz to carry out an Act of Terrorism on his fellow Classmates and Faculty members.

 

The Troubled Youth went inside Majory Stoneman Douglas High School and Killed seventeen of his fellow Students and Staff Members, he also injured seventeen others. While the Massacres unfolded there was an Armed Sheriff Deputy on the Campus Grounds that made no attempt to enter the Building to minimize the Carnage. Did I mention Ineptness and Cowardness, at twelve years old I was a Man of action. One Day while playing in the Schoolyard one of my Classmates fell on a broken Bottle severing his Wrist 90%. My fellow Classmates gathered panick strickened and watched his Life flowing away from his Body, I immediately jumped into action taking off my Belt making a Tourniquet, applying it to his Forearm tightening and Loosening it until the Ambulance came.

 

 

The Medics told me that I saved his Life. That’s who I have been all my Life, someone who could spot Danger and wasn’t afraid to jump right into a Dangerous situation to save Lives. All the People involved in the Majory Stoneman Massacre kept a Hands off Stance. His close friends knew he had access to Dangerous Weapons while Harboring  bad Temperaments towards his fellow Classmates, the only Parity to be drawn is ” Friends don’t let Friends Drive Drunk” no one lift a Finger to Alert Authorities of the Ticking Time Bomb. The School also fell asleep at the Wheel, there were numerous Documents of Antisocial Behaviour and of fighting and Threatening, even on Facebook.

 

 

 

The Warning Signals were Louder than 100 Kids in the Hallways, yet no one heard, did I mention Ineptness, if you have a Child that enjoys Torturing and Killing Lizards and small Animals “Ding Dong” is there someone at the Door, na just my imagination. Cruz have been acting out for a Long time, his Guardian slept the entire Trip, so did his Friends The School, the School Monitor and the Deputy on Duty. In many of my Blogs I have stated that there are many People  who are Parents and Guardians that should  not be allowed to care for Dogs and Cats. In one of my earlier Blogs Titled Fatherless Homes it is Documented that 90% of Social upheavals comes from these Homes I have said it over and again, putting a Roof over their Heads and food on the Table is not all there is to Parenting.

 

 

I’m somewhat of an Authority on Problematic Teens, at fourteen I smoked Weed and drank Beer regularly. Many Nights my Mother worked overtime and she got Home before I did, stumbling in after a hard Day of Partying, one morning I came stumbling in five A.M. peeping out of three Eyes. I took years off that poor woman’s life, can you imagine working all Day, coming Home and not seeing your sixteen years old child for almost twenty four Hours. My Mother was a Caring Loving Person she never once abused any of her Children, that Day I had pushed her to her Limits. She stayed up all Night to Exercise the little Minion called Me, if I ever returned.

 

 

She Lay waited me behind the Door with a Broomstick and dropped me to my Knees, that was the last time I tried to Undermine her, that Assault Taught me that Laws weren’t made to be broken by some dumb Kid on a Runaway Train. If the Courts had gotten whiff of her trying to Crippled me, she would have been in Jail and I would have been free to Run Amok on Society. I gave that Woman Insomnia, she never once fell asleep at the Wheel. Today fifty years later I am still thankful for her taking control and being the Responsible Party. Every Day I awake I give God thanks for giving me a Vigilant Parent who refused to sleep. The People that I was Partying with were Devious People, all the while me thinking they were cool Adults allowing a Kid to hang with them.

 

 

They had ulterior Motives, they were Grooming me to sell their products. Mother didn’t fall asleep at the Wheel, she didn’t know the who, what, where and why but she knew something was wrong. Today I am here to tell Parents of Problematic Teens don’t go to sleep. Mother told me a Story fifty years ago, up to Today I still think that she was pulling my Leg. She said there once was a young Man awaiting Execution, his Mother came to say goodbye, he called her close to the Bars as if to whisper in her Ear. To the Mother’s surprise he Bit her Ear off telling her” that’s for not telling me that I couldn’t get away with Murder” true or false I got the Message.

Life, Safe Driving

Safe Driving is no Accident

Anthony Dixon

 

 

Safe Driving is no Accident

Before I took the written Test I would read the Driver’s Manual just about every day to make sure that I passed on the first attempt. Since then I don’t think that I have ever glanced at it in over fifty years, that is a flaw in the Licensing process. In over fifty years of Driving I believe that I should have been required to take the written Test at least a couple of times to make sure that I remembered the Fundamentals of Safe Driving.

We are living in a fast-paced moving World, we read articles on Health, Beauty, Dieting and Economy to stay abreast of the Times, Driving should not be slighted. Overconfidence and Distracted Driving demands that we stay sharp at all times when you are behind the Wheel. Never take for granted that your fellow Drivers are as contentious capable and astute as yourself, that is a big flaw in Driving. Remember to always Drive like you are the only one on the Road who knows what you are doing, I promise you that attitude saves Lives.

These are things that I have been saying in over twenty thousand words of Safe Driving Blogs, all in one place, this should be my last words on the Subject, but it probably won’t be.

 

Driving safety tips every driver should know how to drive safely.

When you’re behind the wheel of a car – whether alone or with passengers – driving safely should always be your top concern. We’re more distracted than ever, so it’s crucial to know the basics of safe driving and practice them every time you’re on the road. Here are some safe driving tips:

Top 4 driving safety tips

Focus on driving

Keep 100% of your attention on driving at all times – no multi-tasking.

Don’t use your phone or any other electronic device while driving.

Slow down. Speeding gives you less time to react and increases the severity of an accident.

 

 

Drive “defensively”

Be aware of what other drivers around you are doing, and expect the unexpected.

Assume other motorists will do something crazy, and always be prepared to avoid it.

Keep a 2-second cushion between you and the car in front of you.

Make that 4 seconds if the weather is bad.

Make a safe driving plan

Build time into your trip schedule to stop for food, rest breaks, phone calls or other business.

Adjust your seat, mirrors and climate controls before putting the car in gear.

Pull over to eat or drink. It takes only a few minutes.

Practice safety

Secure cargo that may move around while the vehicle is in motion.

Don’t attempt to retrieve items that fall to the floor.

Have items needed within easy reach – such as toll fees, toll cards and garage passes.

Always wear your seat belt and drive sober and drug-free.

Don’t allow children to fight or climb around in your car – they should be buckled in their seats at all times. Too much noise can easily distract you from focus on the road.

 

Avoid driving when you’re tired. Be aware that some medications cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous. Learn more about drowsy driving.

Always use caution when changing lanes. Cutting in front of someone, changing lanes too fast or not using your signals may cause an accident or upset other drivers.

Be extra careful while driving during deer season.

Common sense about safe driving

What to do after an accident

If you’re in an accident, first make sure no one in the car is injured. Next, check on the passengers in the other vehicle, pedestrians and anyone else nearby to make sure they’re OK. Then do these five things:

 

Stay at the scene

Leaving can result in legal consequences, like fines or additional violations.

Call 911 or the local police immediately

They’ll dispatch an officer and medical personnel to the scene of the accident. Once the cops arrive, wait for them to complete an accident report.

Stay in the car

If you’re on a busy highway, stay inside the car and wait for the police or an ambulance. It’s dangerous if passengers stand along a freeway or other road with lots of traffic.

Stay calm

Don’t get into an argument or a fight with the other driver. Simply exchange contact and insurance information. If possible, also get the name and phone numbers of witnesses.

Contact your insurance provider

Call your insurance provider to report the claim. Your agent will ask you for any paperwork you receive about the accident, and will give you important information on getting your car fixed.

Find out more about what to do after an accident or a hit-and-run.

 

 

What to do when pulled over

If you notice that a police car is following you with the lights flashing, pull over to the side of the road safely and quickly. Wait inside your car for the officer to approach, and be prepared to:

Turn on the light

Turn on your interior light at night and keep your hands where the officer can see them, preferably on the steering wheel.

Keep your hands visible

Don’t reach under your seat or into your glove box. This may cause the officer to think you’re reaching for a weapon or hiding something.

Provide necessary documentation

Give your license and proof of insurance to the officer if asked. If the officer asks you to step out of your car, do so without sudden or threatening movements.

Be polite

Stay calm − don’t become argumentative, disorderly or abusive − and never attempt to bribe the officer.

If a citation is issued, present your story in traffic court if you feel you’ve been unfairly treated. You may be represented by a lawyer and, if necessary, you’ll be heard by a judge or magistrate.

 

Things to know about speeding & traffic laws

Some roadways are designated as low-speed zones. These include areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as school zones and streets lots of intersections close together. Driving over the speed limit can put you and others at risk of harm.

Never pass a stopped bus displaying a stop sign to its left. That means children are crossing the street.

If you hear a siren coming behind you, pull to the side if you can, stop and wait until the police car or fire truck goes by.

Completely stop at stop signs and look for other drivers and pedestrians before you proceed.

Obey the posted speed limit at all times. Speeding tickets are costly, and penalties for speeding can include fines, court appearances and loss or suspension of your driving privileges. Also, depending on your insurance policy, speeding tickets can raise your rates.

When parking your vehicle, always be mindful of handicapped signs, fire hydrants, bus stop zones, parking restrictions for certain times of day, and parking spots that require permits. Just remember to heed all of the signs. Even if you have to circle the block a couple times, it sure beats getting fined or having your car towed.

All about DUI & DWI

Driving after drinking too much alcohol is known as Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Alcohol slows your reflexing, temporarily lowers your mental acuity and can thus compromise your ability to control a vehicle and drive it safely. And yes, even “buzzed driving” is still drunk driving and can be just as dangerous.

A DUI arrest can lead to expensive consequences, including spending time in jail, a suspended driver’s license and fines. If you hit and/or kill someone while you are driving impaired, the consequences are even worse.

It’s also illegal to have an open container of alcohol in your car. If you’re transporting alcoholic beverages, they should be sealed and in the trunk.

All 50 states have now set .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) as the legal limit for Driving Under the Influence, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). For commercial drivers, it’s .04%. And if you’re under 21, it’s zero tolerance – any amount of alcohol is grounds for a DUI arrest.

In some cities, law enforcement officials set up sobriety checkpoints along the road to identify and deter impaired drivers. These are typically set up during holiday weekends or on dates when there might be more drinking and driving.

If you’re stopped at a checkpoint, you’ll be asked several questions and might be asked to perform a sobriety test (like saying the ABC’s backwards, performing some physical movements or breathing into an alcohol sensor). If these tests show that you have high alcohol levels, the police may arrest you.

Winter driving tips

Winter brings all sorts of driving headaches: snow, freezing rain and slush, which all make the roads more hazardous. To handle the hassle of winter driving:

First of all, buckle up. Basic car safety encourages the use of seat belts and car seats at all times. They’re one of your best defenses in a crash. And it’s the law.

Use extra caution in areas that ice up quickly, especially intersections, shaded areas, bridges and overpasses.

Get in the habit of regularly checking weather reports on TV or online so you can prepare for bad weather. On severe weather days, schools and workplaces might close or delay opening. Consider staying at home if you don’t need to be on the road.

Keep an emergency kit in the trunk of your car – including blankets, a first aid kit and jumper cables. Check out our full list of items for your emergency car kit.  

Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and that your car always has a full tank of gas. 

Most importantly Road Rage Kills.