Monday, March 26, 2007

The Killing Season

Ah, spring. When the birds reawaken, flowers create a riot of color, and young men dream of driving fast. There is something about a sunny day and a car that makes even a monkey's pulse race. Sadly, as I've spent more and more spring times and summers living amongst the humans, I've noticed that spring and summer is a time when too many young men die in cars.

I know that having a car when you're young enough to feel the excitement of the open road is part of the American Dream. I know that parents feel that it's a rite of passage if not a birth right to receive a car at the age of 16.

But, the difference between the cars today's young are apt to drive and those of classic American Heavy metal is great. Kids today are more likely to have new cars, more powerful cars, cars with lighter body constructions, and the ability to drive faster than the cars their parents rode the strip in back in the day. Also, kids today are driving on roads with more cars, more distractions, and spend more time in their cars than their parents did.

The result, more and more teen boys don't make it to college.

So, if you have young boys in your life, take a moment to remind them that you love them and want them to be around a long, long time. Remind them that cars are deadly weapons when used badly. As the Old Man told me over and over again "a bruise at 30 miles an hour can kill." I don't know if that's exactly true, but it stuck with me as I learned to navigate my own car as a young monkey.

No comments: