Well Well
Yesterday I was on a Training Course.
Speed Awareness Course!
I had been captured speeding in my car going to a gig in Bedfordshire.
37 mph in a 30mph zone !
It was either get points on my licence or do the course.
It was a good course with about 30 women and men in attendance.
Strangers all!
How often do we enter a group of strangers?
The good thing about it was it did raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and driving generally.
I passed my driving test over 50 years ago so a refresher was good.
The showed films of accidents, road conditions etc..
450 humans are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every day.
A total of 23,370 beautiful humans in 2013 !!
Group discussion considered the impact on a range of people involved.
Driver, the injured, two families, observers, accident emergency workers, disruption for all in terms of employment and family/community life!
I have already changed my driving awareness and behaviour.
They rightly say that education is better than punishment.
I agree.
One thing I would love to have discussed with them was about beliefs and behaviour.
They rightly got us to reflect on why we speed - such as::
Lateness, habit, road conditions, un-awareness of our speed, keeping up with the flow, stress, beliefs, values.
Certainly, in terms of beliefs, we can be a ignorer or bender of society's rules whilst others have a commitment and practice to behave with in the law of the land. This applies to driving too.
The bit I would love to have explored was not behaviour but the issue of emotions below the behaviour.
If you read me much here or Twitter Facebook etc, you will know that I am into the deeper spiritual emotional and their impact on humans and the world we drive and live in.
Behaviour largely comes out of feelings it seems to me.
We can drive differently depending on our feelings.
They can be triggered by our home life, relationships, encounters with individuals or other drivers!.
Awareness of our internal stirrings and emotional intelligence development I think would have been an extra element in awareness on the day.
I have often suggested that to develop awareness and skills in emotional literacy is to clock and name feelings as we drive because there are lots of them along the way depending on other drivers and our own internal activity as we negotiate the twists and turns on the way.
I have lots when I drive - do you?
Have a check as you drive.
On the way home ......
A 40 minute journey
was nearly three hours.
I was sat still for 2 of those
as, I learned later,
a car transporter had jackknifed ahead of me
and two cars involved
and others thrown around the two carriageways - and
a minor matter -
loads of vehicles were held at a standstill on the motorway
miles of logjamed humans in cars + me!
I understand no humans died - I guess some were injured.
Lord have Mercy.
Lastly - this is part of a poem I composed about a young BHP who overdosed and died.
A tragic loss of life and loss from my life.
She was 'driving' in a destructive way.
PIPSPOEM
=========
alcoholic at birth
mothers addiction
father loss disaster later
fateful crack overdose
and years of homes
sometimes called 'care'
drugs and crime
crime and drugs
suck the life
drain the soul
shred the person
sometimes called 'deprivation'
how do I feel
the feelings are deep
she was driving blind
foot on disaster
hard as nails
fragile and bruised
beautifully broken
sometimes called 'love'
Love to you today
as you drive
as you breathe
*
