Living the dream, or just dreaming?
I had a neighbour who would always answer me when I asked him how things were going for him by saying “I’m living the dream!” It’s not as common as we would like to live out our dreams. I have dreams too, but not all have become a reality. Some have, but not all.
For some people, their fantasy’s or dreams clog reality. Some people I’ve trained to drive at Young Drivers of Canada believe they can do certain things behind the wheel because they’re good at certain video games. Seriously? Playing with a video game control unit isn’t the same as “playing” in traffic. You only have one life and you can’t always hit the “reset” button and try again.
To some people who enjoy watching chase scenes in movies and TV shows. They feel they can do the same things on public roads. They’ll often remove the fear of crashing and replace it with the rush of adrenaline of going beyond their means. Recently, a tragic death of actor Paul Walker, of The Fast and the Furious movie series was scattered across the news. He was a passenger in his friend’s Porsche as they struck a tree and light post and burst into flames. The police stated that speed was a factor in the crash. I know Paul had no control over the driver’s actions, but was the driver’s thoughts clogged between reality and fantasy? We may never know. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/11/30/arts/ap-us-obit-paul-walker.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0
We often see what kind of influence TV, movies and video games have on people. One of the participants from the early seasons of Canada’s Worst Driver had a clogged sense of reality between online video racing and real life. Since I was a judge during that season I tried to convince him it wasn’t real and that driving on public roads was real. Over time, he’s learned there is a difference and has changed his ways. There are places to try these dreams or fantasies. Going to a race track and learning how to use the equipment is always the best idea. But keep it on the race track when you leave.
It’s always a tragedy when someone dies through negligence. We hear how governments have stepped up their laws and enforced stiffer penalties for street racing and driving well above the posted speed limit. That’s been a good thing, but many people feel it doesn’t apply to them. Perhaps Paul Walker’s death will send a message that driving like that can take away a precious life, well before it’s time.