A sister-in-law experienced the day we all dread (when we have parents we love). It happened sooner than expected when her mother died of a heart attack at a fairly young age. Her mother was a very out-going dynamo, community-oriented, talented woman. When it happened, my brother and sister-in-law were driving through Boise (where the mom lives) on their way to the LDS General Conference in Salt Lake City. Fortuitous?
After this great woman’s funeral, an aging gentleman left the funeral, got into his car, became confused, and ran over a bunch of people, causing serious consequences: two people in critical condition; four to five people with non-life-threatening, but life-altering injuries; and several more people (who luckily escaped!) with minor injuries.
This is a good example of why we should encourage elderly parents who show signs of declining driving skills, dementia, or syncopal episodes to give up the keys. Many states allow anonymous reporting and then they summon the elderly person go in for check ups. If you're one of these elderly people, bow out gracefully. Don't turn all the funerals you're going to attend into a Freudian road-rage incident aimed at the younger funeral attendees.
My heart goes out to all the mourners and the injured.
Loren M. Lambert © October 7, 2013
After this great woman’s funeral, an aging gentleman left the funeral, got into his car, became confused, and ran over a bunch of people, causing serious consequences: two people in critical condition; four to five people with non-life-threatening, but life-altering injuries; and several more people (who luckily escaped!) with minor injuries.
This is a good example of why we should encourage elderly parents who show signs of declining driving skills, dementia, or syncopal episodes to give up the keys. Many states allow anonymous reporting and then they summon the elderly person go in for check ups. If you're one of these elderly people, bow out gracefully. Don't turn all the funerals you're going to attend into a Freudian road-rage incident aimed at the younger funeral attendees.
My heart goes out to all the mourners and the injured.
Loren M. Lambert © October 7, 2013
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