Wednesday 30 January 2013

Complacency


Yesterday there was a huge accident on the motor way, lots of cars were involved and the motorway was closed... needless to say it caused havoc all around the area because people were trying to find ways into work. It was a horrendous accident that resulted, unfortunately, in at least one death – though I don’t know the full details so it could be more.

It got me thinking about the responsibility we put on ourselves and others every day when we drive. Since I have thought about this I have noticed how many times I could have been in an accident just coming to and from work (5 miles) because of someone else’s stupid mistakes or my own impatience.
We all get complacent in our driving, you do it every day and normally the same routes so things just become habit but if you actually think about it, every time you get behind the wheel you are putting your life, your passengers, other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in danger.  By saying this I am not trying to scare or change anyone but it is amazing that we are so at ease about the whole thing. You get people who can’t even get on planes because they are scared of it falling out of the sky but the dangers on the road are so much more risky!

The other day a cab driver got so impatient trying to turn into a road that he just started reversing, I was already going around him before he started so I couldn't stop and luckily he spotted me otherwise he would have backed straight into the side of me, wouldn't have been a major accident but a major inconvenience! And yesterday morning going to work I was going around a roundabout, indicating, and a girl decided to pull out in front of me! It was like she decided not to wait OR that she didn't see me, luckily (again) she slammed her brakes on and I managed to get past without any incident.  When I passed I looked at her and she didn't even acknowledge that she had done anything wrong so I really am not sure she was aware! That is a worry.

I think because I had a minor ‘accident’ it has made me a little more aware of all these little mistakes people make, including myself, that could result in something awful happening. I had a lady drive into the side of me while I was going around a roundabout. Initially she tried to blame it on me saying I cut her up but after I pointed out that there wasn’t a chance the marks on my car could have been made unless I was ahead of her she quickly backed down and said it was fine and we didn’t need to change details etc.... anyway because I was in the right and did nothing wrong – I was indicating, there was no one coming from the left and she was in place when I set off – it made me realise that you can have a accident just because other people are not concentrating on what they are doing...

I mean you really don’t know who you’re going to encounter on a drive, people get so frustrated by cyclists that they make stupid, impatient decisions that could result in accidents. In the same breath, I see so many cyclists breaking rules and almost causing accidents themselves. I had numerous kids run out in front of my car near where I used to live, they just didn't seem bothered by the fact they were almost run over and yet I am sitting in my car heart pounding thinking about what would have happened if I had actually hit someone – it is a scary thought. Even if it isn't your fault imagine if you were involved in an accident where someone died, I can’t imagine I would ever be the same after something like that!

My aim now that I have noticed and thought about all these things, is to make sure I think more about my surrounding and try to lose the impatience I have when I drive – if I know that I have done all I can to drive safe I can’t be held responsible if there is an accident. You can’t stop the way other people drive but you can try to be better yourself.... maybe a motto for life in general too J

Peace on the roads people – take care, you’ll get home eventually so why not do your best to get there without incident J


Wednesday 2 January 2013

New Years Resolutions




New Years Resolutions

I found my resolutions that I made this time last year so it inspired me to get the old blog up and used again!

These were mine last year:
- Think Positive
- 2 weeks no dairy
- Work on patience
- Get back into an exercise routine
- Save as much as possible
- Stairs not lift at work
- Start using my blog

The last one COULD be what inspired me to write this blog... who knows :) 

I think I did ok at these, I mean lets be honest we make them and we break them usually quite soon into the year. I know how people feel about resolutions, that they are pointless because of the above. However I have decided to look at them in a different way, I am definitely someone who needs targets. I need to have something I have to do and a time scale to do it and then I will get it done but if I don't have that then I won't bother. So I class these as my 'targets', an aim for the year.

Think positive - probably my hardest, I think I have made a good start and hopefully made some changes to my way of thinking because of this resolution. BUT it was the hardest and I definitely didn't manage it all the time so I can't say I completed it. I am happy with the little change it has made so that should be good enough. It isn't going on my list this year but that is because I think I should now be able to make it a part of every day life naturally rather than putting it back on my list as a 'to do'. 
2 weeks no dairy - well I did this in January and actually managed to go the whole month so that was good. I definitely noticed a difference, and even though I have been weak since and not done it again, it is my intention to do it for longer at some point this year and really test the effect it has. For anyone who doesn't know me this isn't just a weird diet or anything, I have stomach issues and for years have tried to find out what is causing them. That is my reasoning. Again not on my list but something I will do this year and if I get the results I think I will then it will become something I have to make part of my life permanently.
Work on Patience - Broken. Next.
Get back into an exercise routine - NAILED IT. I think I have done more exercise, training, fitness in the past year then I did when I was training for the London Marathon back in 2011! And the thing is, I love it! I have written blogs on this subject but I definitely believe that getting to the gym makes you feel so much better in yourself. I was excited for January this year as it meant getting back to the gym and back to getting fit. A few weeks off set you back unbelievably so you really have to push yourself to get back into it but if you can then it is worth it.
My moto is simply 'you will regret it if you don't' and I stick by that, when I can't be bothered to go to that gym class or go for a workout I just remind myself of that moto and it gets me down there. The thing is it is so true, you plan to go to the gym but decide to drive home eat and laze about on the sofa you WILL regret that you didn't just take that time to get to the gym first, it makes the food and laziness afterwards so much more rewarding :)
Save as much as possible - Well all I have to say is wedding day, honeymoon, house. All done and no debt (apart from the mortgage of course) Dan and I managed to save (with wedding contributions as well) £85k for all 3 things and honestly it was worth every second of saving. I feel like my life has started, people talk about wedding blues but not once have I felt them. I had the best day possible on the 2nd November, we had great weather, great food, most of our family and friends made it and everyone danced - we literally could not have asked for more. Not once did the day feel like it zoomed past too quickly so I haven't felt the need to go back and do it again. I remember it all and I had such a good time that there is no way that doing it again could ever top the first time!  The honeymoon was once in a lifetime and it was amazing, it was a long time and we got so much out of it and did so much with the time we had that again I don't feel the need to go back and do it again (though I would love to be sitting on a beach in Fiji right now rather than in grey England but you know what I mean). I will do separate a blog about the wedding and honeymoon as I feel they need more than a few sentences!
As for the house, well never did I think that 1) we would be in our house for Christmas 2) we would afford the area we live in and 3) that would we manage to get a house with 2 bedrooms, conservatory, garage.... I am absolutely in love with it and feel so lucky and content at the moment. All I want is be at home, I don't want to leave there to go to work, go out ANYTHING. When we first got there we had no spare time to just be there, now we have a chance to just sit on the sofa together and watch TV and it feels like heaven! :) So yeah this was my most rewarding of resolutions to complete and we did it.
Stairs not lift at work - Broken at times but mostly stuck to it. I did adapt it to walking UP the stairs rather than up and down as that seemed too much :) and I did have a operation on my feet in November so that is when I broke the resolution. It isn't the best resolution but hey I did it and that little bit of exercise didn't hurt...well actually it wore me out every time I climbed the stairs at work!
Start using my blog - Well I did do this through the year and even though it hasn't been used for about 6 months I definitely enjoyed posting up my thoughts and get peoples thoughts back. It isn't a popular blog and it isn't going to break any records but I enjoyed doing it so am going to TRY and do a post a month (at least) this year. Writing has always been a passion of mine and even though I may never write a novel or get a job that involves writing this little blog gives me that outlet, a hobby to feed the cravings. Plus writing a blog is so much less demanding! So if you read my blog then look forward to more over the year people :)

And that's it for last year. Aims this year, I jotted down on a post it on my first day in the office (maybe putting them in black and white where people will see them will make me too proud to break them):
-Go somewhere new this year that is on my list of things to do before I'm 30
-Complete and pass a course (nutrition/fitness)
-Get a hobby I am passionate about and enjoy
-Make Dan's 30th special
-Make it to our 1 year anniversary..... that's a joke :)

Anyway time to get on with these resolutions! Happy New Year everyone xx