Mary Caruso

YOU ARE ALWAYS ONLY ONE CHOICE AWAY FROM CHANGING YOUR LIFE.

That is a quote I recently read and thought about it a lot!  I think I have always been a person of principal but I have always been a kind of coward when it comes to confrontation.  So that has kept me out of a lot of trouble over the years.  But keeping with the quote and my passion for making the world a kinder place I realize that sometimes you just have to speak up.  This brings me to two episodes that I feel compelled to talk about; one I spoke up and one I will not.  Well, I won’t speak up directly but I will speak up about both now in hopes that a few people will realize that we can do little things as human beings to make a difference.

The first episode is really about Sam.  Sam has an internship, which she loves!  She has been working at her internship now since the start of her fall semester.  It isn’t easy for her to get there but she does it.  I think she has missed one day since she started.  I am proud because despite having to always find rides, being dropped in the parking lot, coordinating people to get her in and out of the car and getting into a building that isn’t accessible friendly she perseveres.  Well, the other night she was working and they ended up closing early.  Everyone packed up, walked outside, locked the building, got into their cars and left.  Well, that is everyone but Sam……..now she told me not to say anything and I will respect that but let’s think about this.  AND before anyone says anything,my disappointment has nothing to do with the wheelchair.  If I was at a meeting at night and I walked out with a friend who was waiting for a ride I would not leave them there alone.  It’s about being a kind human being, a thoughtful person.  Besides, imagine if someone waited with her?  What a chance to get to know someone a little bit, maybe a joke or two or just a small bonding moment.  To me there was a choice for any of those people to change their life just a little bit…………to make a new friend, do something nice.  Instead they all went home their separate ways and that is that, to me an unkind, uncaring sort of existence.

This next escapade will probably get me a lot of flack but i am a person who preaches about stepping up to the plate to making the world a kinder place so if the shoe fits………

I was coming from motor vehicle to Universal Drive yesterday.  Most of us all know that intersection…..the stop line is way before the corner and the opposite oncoming traffic has a green light first.  I am always cautious when I come to these intersections.  I was sitting at the light listening to some great music when I heard this blast of a horn.  I jumped-practically out of the car then heard it again.  I looked around only to see this very angry face in my rear view mirror.  GOOD GOD!  Why do people have to be so combative when it comes to right turn on red.  Who says you HAVE to take that right turn?  Better yet, who the heck passed that law anyway?  It has just contributed to the problem of people rushing around way too much.  But then I thought maybe somehow he had severed his leg and had to get to the hospital quickly? Or he could be in a rush to get to someone having a heart attack!  But by the time I relaxed and realized what was going on the light turned green and I of course went right away.  Well, he passed me (because you know- severed leg) and I was pretty disappointed to see that he was in a rush to get to – yes BJ’s gas station.  So I made the choice to turn in and ask him why he would be so mean!  Let me say, when you come across such an arrogant and combative person don’t expect too much!  BUT I tried!  He was even worse to talk to!  Janie tells me it was a waste of good energy, which she is right, could be true.  However, I had really had it this time.  This was about the third time that I was blasted for not taking a right turn on red and I am getting sick and tired of pulling up to a red light to be honest.  I think I just want to start a campaign……..I want to make tickets for really mean people.  AND I want a mean person jail!  So I can give out meanie tickets and mean people would have to go to mean jail and do really nice things before they can get out! A total meanie rehab would have to take place!  It is the only way!  Jane is right, I may not have had an impact on him and yes he may continue to try to boss people around if they don’t immediately take that right turn on red.  BUT if each of us would stop and tell him he can’t be mean anymore would he stop then?  It’s nice against mean!  So Mr. Meanie in the black Mercedes CT6952- we have had it with your arrogance!  You have been tagged as mean, go directly to jail do not pass go or even pass BJ’s gas station!

Please take a breath at the red lights, don’t rush right out there and take that right! AND by all means PLEASE don’t beep at people who may feel it’s not the time to take that right turn!  It may be the only two minutes in the day you get to look around and see something beautiful! That is unless you have severed your leg…..then it’s ok to beep!

Thanks for listening……..

 In Love and Peace!

Always

Mary