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Show •N L \V S Spanish Fork On The Road to Fuddy-duddy Don't forget a school emergency kit WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008 • A3 Covering what matters most will become one of them sooner than you think." Life After Birth Boy, were they right. When Janene Baadsgaard I looked around me at my 35th high school reunion, I got in a car accident I wondered how all those the other day. The prob- kids got looking so old so lem is I have often pointed fast. Then I realized I was out to my teenage children one of them. I don't like to comthat I have never received a plain about getting older. ticket or caused a car acciI mean the only alternadent for 54 years. Now I've tive is dying young. I've done both. When I stopped at that stop sign, looked always been happy to tell right and left and pulled everybody how old 1 am forward, I had no idea how on my birthday because that red car appeared out if I wasn't that old. I'd be of nowhere. Like magic dead. I have also learned — poof! There it was. not to take life too seriously because we'll never Crunch. I am an insurance com- get out of here alive. They say that the joy of pany's worst nightmare. life is the ride. What they I immediately pulled my van off the road, raced to don't say is that while the other vehicle, made you're on that ride you're sure she was alright, going to get in some achugged her told her I was cidents right after you sorry for ruining her car change your insurance from comprehensive to and her day. liability because you've I think I've officially never been in an accident entered my fuddy-duddy stage. I can see through my before and you're tired glasses pretty well straight of paying those premiahead, but they don't work ums. Then ... wham! You so well when I look right wreck your car, someone or left. I guess what I really else's car and your pride. need is wrap around glass- There you are minding es so I can see on the sides your own business and suddenly you cause an acof my life. Someone once said to cident, get handed a FTY me, "Be nice to old fuddy- citation and still have to duddies on the road. You pay to get your car fixed on your own dime. Then you have to attend traffic school if you don't want the bad driver points on your record. Well, I refuse to be intimidated or humiliated by reality. The real miracle is that I've never been in an accident before when I've been in so many near misses - my fault and their fault. The real miracle is that no one got hurt. I think we add years to our life and life to our years when we stop a hardening of our attitudes. We don't have to wonder, "Why me?" "Why now?" The real question is, "Why not me?" "Why not now?" Bad things happen to everybody. Some times it's our fault and sometimes it's the other person's fault. We don't have to spend the rest of our life feeling picked on. That's life. After the accident, the auto body guy said it wasn't worth the money to fix our thirteen year old van. It would cost more to fix it than the vehicle was worth. But I fixed it anyway. I don't think you have to give up on cars or people and send them to the junk yard just because they get a little older or a Poncho and/or umbrel- Ready or Not Dawn Van Nosdol Janene Baadsgaard little banged up. I'm just not ready to let go of my old van ... my sense of humor ... or my love of life. Janene Baadsgaard is the author of many books for families including Families Who Laugh ... Last. On the Roller Coaster Called Motherhood, Winter's Promise, Financial Freedom for LDS Families, The LDS Mother's Almanac and 15 Secrets to ci Happy Home - available at local book stores or at www.springcreekbooks.com. Readers will find her columns titled Baadsgaard Bylines on-line at www.janenebaadsgaard. blogspot.com. She can be reached at janenebaadsgaard@juno.com. Courtesy photo CAR WRECK: A car accident can happen to anyone, but no one expects it to happen to them. EDUCATOR 798-8201- 743 N. Main, Spanish Fork *& growing trend fiiifie legalfieldto purchase geneiiciecjal document .: - j | packagestora very cheap prke has left many people with the mistaken nptfen J thafone size fits all"and with the incorrect beliefthat their intflKts are taken cad ot Growing numbers of people are purchasing stock packagesfromretail vendors J .wfthout noticing that these packages a n y disclaimers that certain provisions mayi wtbevaM in some states. Accordingly, a growing number of people are creating) their ownrolls,trusts, lies, corporations, and a variety of other legal document j rthebeliefthattheirinterestsarewefltakencareof. ^ -. ^ - | The prohlem with this approach is that it is much like a doctor prescribing a \ strong pain medicationfora sick individual. Wh tie that mediation may be* helpful! jftra number ofindividuals, it could also quiddyower up symptoms that ought i birtto be (gnbred and that ought to be treated immediately - that medicafipn j j&rid seriously decrease the overall health ofthajsfck individual. Similarly, vyhile a] generic wHf may be valid in Alabama, it may not be valid in Utah. Similarly, certain] Ik provlsionsmay be enforceable in New York but they may not be enforceable • I in Utah so purthasing^^enericpadcdge,fillingin the blanks, andtrossing your jj fingers"is usually quijerisky.One size neverfitseyeryone in the legal field. ! If you have legal needs butfeart(>atthe coscraremoretfian youanafford, Principal Tray Peterson Troy Peterson, principal of Diamond Fork Junior, is known as dedicated educator caring deepl> for e;ich student's development. He challenges his students ;ind rewards them with praise and then offers more opportunities for their growth When students and parents come with difficult problems to Mr Peterson, they know they have been heard. Troy is articulate, genuine, intelligent, energetic, honest, dynamic, resourceful, and loyal — the consummate educator. J"vTroy was selected as Teacher o! fclhe Year for three straight years. School is going to start in about a week and that means that it's that time again - time to store your water! Just kidding (sort of). Actually it is time to buy new clothes, paper and penciisr backpacks, new shoes and everything else that you need to be a successful student. I hope that when you are shopping for your back-to-school supplies that you don't forget the School Emergency Kit. If you want your student to be truly prepared to go back to school, make sure that you assemble this kit and have them take it with them on the first day of school and leave it in their locker or cubby hole for the school season. Earthquakes and other emergencies don't just happen when everyone is gathered around the table and safe at-home. Nope, chaos and destruction generally seem to happen when everyone is spread out doing their own thing: school, work, shopping or visiting others. If you really want your kids to learn something before school starts, teach them that no matter where they are, they need to be prepared - and then prepare them. Look this school kit list over and then have your children help you assemble one so that on their first day back at school they will be prepared and confident that they can take care of themselves until you come after them, no matter what happens. School Emergency Kit: • Inexpensive backpack or small duffel bag • 2 sealed bottles of water • 1 or 2 Energy Bars/ Candy Bars, but remember, chocolate will melt and make a mess • Hard tack candy and/or gum • Tennis shoes or boat shoes • 2 pairs of cotton socks • A pair of sweats or change of clothes • Flashlight that doesn't need batteries la • Small first aid kit • Whistle • I roll of Toilet Paper • Small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or small packet of wet wipes. PureWorks antibacterial foam is really good stuff and Purell. • Money - You decide on the amount, but make sure that you have small change in coin as well as paper bills. • Pictures, on a lanyard or necklace of some sort, of each member of your family. Mount the pictures on some cardstock and on the back write, the name of the person in the photo, the address, contact names and phones numbers. It is best to have individual pictures instead of a group photo because the person is more recognizable. It would also be a good idea to have the pictures laminated. Each person in the family will need a set of every person in their family. These will need to be updated every year. The best time to do this is when you get school pictures because they are usually taken at the beginning of the year, or just get your digital camera out and get them done before school starts. • You can also put any medical instructions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc., on the back of the pictures before you laminate them. • You should also include a letter from you, their parents, with instructions of what to do in case of an emergency at school and a letter of assurance that all will be well and that you will be together again as a family. As you are putting your children's kits together, make sure that you put your own kit together for your vehicles so that you will also be prepared - just in case you are away from home during an emergency. Remember your children learn by example, so be a good exampie- Security Insurance SPONSORED B^'T sncuRm For more information on mediation, contact Drew. K 801-798-8201 798-1581 735 N. MAIN, SPANISH FORK'-.vS Unlock: the door to better community news N i- \v s Spanish Fork Allied Insurance • Nationwide" company 290 M. Main • Spanish Fork • 798-3500 |