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Show m mKTWlf II III) Submit a Guest Editorial or Opinion at our office, located locat-ed at 538 South State in Orem. Deadlines are Monday 10:00 a.m. All submissions are subject to editing lor length, and The Orem-Geneva Times reserves the right to publish or not to publish a submission. COMMENTARY & Opinion A9, Thursday, July 24, 2003 (Editorial v TIMES Safety tips for families of senior drivers With the recent devastating crash involving an 86-year old man in Santa Monica bringing increased attention to the unique needs of senior drivers, AAA Utah is offering advice for families trying try-ing to determine if their loved ones are safe behind the wheel. "It is important to realize that mobility for the senior members of our communities affects everyone. The crashes involve not only the driver, but everyone else in the community," said AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough. "We have a responsibility to keep our aging population safe a responsibility that will ultimately help all of as we age." People over 65 are the fastest-growing fastest-growing segment of the population in the United States. By 2020, therewill be more than 40 million licensed drivers age 65 and older. Senior crash fatality rates have climbed while overall fatality rates for all ages combined have remained stable since 1991. Although they are more likely to wear their seatbelts, less likely to drink and drive and less likely to speed, senior drivers are more likely to be hurt in a car crash. They have the highest crash death rate per mile of everyone except teenagers. Senior drivers are over-represented over-represented in intersection crash es, and senior pedestrians are up to five times more likely to die in these crashes than any other age group. As people age, their bodies and minds go through several changes. Vision and hearing tend to diminish dimin-ish and muscles and bones become weaker. Mentally, several other changes may also occur that tend to slow down reaction time and the ability to focus attention on many tasks at the same time. All of the attributes and abilities of the mind and body are integral to being able to operate a vehicle safely. Families of seniors need to remember than giving up driving privileges can be a traumatic and highly disruptive experience. Offering support and being prepared pre-pared with transportation alternatives alterna-tives is key to making the transition transi-tion successful. Scolding or confronting con-fronting an older driver will likely only alienate them. Try to assess the driver's behind-the-wheel skills as objectively as you can. Then, encourage him or her to take a self-assessment test and visit a medical professional for a vision and driving fitness checkup. More information and a 15-step self-assessment test can be found at www.seniordrivers.org. When attempting to assess an older driver's behind-the-wheel skills, here are examples of questions ques-tions to keep in mind: Does the driver get lost or disoriented, dis-oriented, even in familiar places? Do other drivers honk or pass frequently, even when traffic is moving slowly? Does the driver weave or drift into other lanes without signaling? signal-ing? Has the driver been issued two or more tickets or warning or had two "near "misses" in the past two years? Does the driver have difficulty working the pedals. Does the driver have trouble seeing other vehicles or pedestrians, pedestri-ans, especially at night? Does the driver seem to ignore or "miss" stop signs and other traffic traf-fic signals? Does the driver neglect to buckle their seat helt? Does the driver take medica tion that causes drowsiness or slows reaction time? In Utah, a vision test is required for everyone 65 and older to renew a driver license. Older drivers find they are eligible for a discount on their auto insurance by taking a DMV-approved course for mature drivers. More information on these courses can be found at www.aarp.org55alive. The Utah Valley Elder Quest of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Utah Valley State College is comprised of some 200 local Senior Citizens. Many of whom are involved in recalling and writing down their memories and life experiences such as the one presented here. (9w ldvt duett Memmied Joining My, Spiritual fowtney, BY VIRGINIA JOHNSON Part Two We moved into our first home when my two oldest children, Paul and Karen were three and one years old, respectively. It was a new neighborhood on the fringe of DesPlains. IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago. There were no churches church-es in our immediate area. The closest clos-est being about five miles away in the more settled center of DesPlaines; so I didn't pursue finding find-ing a church home at that time. Besides, my children were so small and my husband was not a churchgoer. church-goer. In addition, in my Methodist faith, the children would have gone to Sunday School by age three and I would have gone to a church service serv-ice at a different time, following Sunday School. It just seemed easier eas-ier to wait for the time being. Sometime in the next couple of years, I answered my door to a very pleasant, rather young minister, minis-ter, Reverend Hinz, who was hoping hop-ing to start a new church in the area. The denomination he represented repre-sented was The United Church of Christ, a church which was the union of the Congregational Christian Church with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. I had relatives who were Lutheran, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, etc. so denominations weren't a major consideration to me. I agreed to meet with a group he had gathered in a neighbor's home and thus began my, and my children's adventure with "Hinze's group" as my husband called it. Our first church service began in a room at the nearby YMCA. Rev. Hinze was a very nice, humble man who gave very good sermons. I liked him and the group that soon gathered around him. Generally, if a preacher preached good sermons, that was the main point of going to church- to be inspired and uplifted by what was said. The Sacrament, or Holy Communion, as it is called in other Christian churches, was offered infrequently, maybe four times a year. Protestants, as well as Mormon's consider it to be symbolic symbol-ic of the body and the blood of Christ, unlike Catholics, who believe it to be the actual elements of the Savior. This newly formed association went along for several years, during dur-ing which time a small church was built and we happily began our services there. Also, during this time, my second daughter, Kim was born and we arranged to have her baptized. We had to keep postponing post-poning it from week to week because of sickness in the family. Finally we arranged to have the preacher come to our home and baptize her there At this time I had some questions about baptism. "What exactly did it mean," I asked the preacher. "Was it really necessary? neces-sary? I don't believe a little baby needs to be cleansed of sin, and what sins anyway could she have committed? I don't believe she'll go to hell without baptism, so what's the point?" Well, Pastor Hinze gave me a totally unsatisfactory answer which was that baptism is really a means for the parents to dedicate the child to the Christian life. Sometime during the next year, I injured my back, so that I had pain in every position except lying down. My doctor ordered complete bed rest for a week during which time my husband's grandmother came out to watch the children and cook some meals, which was a huge help, but I still didn't improve so the doctor sent me to the hospital. When he put me in traction, I panicked. Being tied to a bed with my head down and my feet elevated, drove me into hyster ics. At not time in my life before or since did I feel so out of control, followed fol-lowed by sudden deep feelings of depression and despair. For very brief time I could see where some could end his life. I was discharged and almost immediately my spirits recovered, even though now I was home alone with two small children chil-dren who fetched me peanut butter sandwiches. My youngest, still a baby, was taken home and cared for by my mother. Eventually, my aunt, took me to see her osteopathic osteopath-ic physician. I visited his office several sev-eral times for about three weeks and gradually began to improve with the manipulations and the muscle relaxant pills. What has this to do with my spiritual journey? jour-ney? Well, I'll explain. I had been very good friends with the people in my church, including the minister's wife, and I was a faithful member attending all the services and activities. I was away from church for at least three months, perhaps more with this back problem. Reverend Hinze visited me once in the hospital. That was all I saw or heard from of anyone from that congregation in all that time. Then, when I finally returned, no one including Reverend Hinze's wife, even questioned ques-tioned where I had been. My thoughts ran thus. "If this was truly a Christian congregation, people would be aware of others in their midst who were suffering and would offer some help, or at the very least to be aware of someone who they knew well, that wasn't coming to church over a rather long period of time." Along with my reservations about the baptism of infants, I now recognized I had another question. It was about a people who where supposed to love their neighbor, but did not seem to be aware if their neighbor was missing. toss; f ' -v , Timpanogos Ureen W I 1 John F. Kennedy's Burial at Sea Four years ago this month, John F. Kennedy Jr., at 38, became the latest victim of his family's famous "curse." Piloting his private plane on a foggy July night, he crashed into the waters off Martha's Vineyard, killing his wife, Carolyn, her sister, Lauren Bessette, and himself. Behold, the sea, beneficent and wild! A blessing, or a curse, on every child. Effulgent and replete with life's largesse, Yet, dark and dangerous. How large she lives, And spreads her salt upon the planet Earth! So generous, in all she does possess, She opens up her secret stores and gives Her teeming tides of wealth in joy and mirth. Yet , deep within recesses of the ocean, Now lies the cynosure of stark emotion! July 16th, a Piper plane was heading Off to Hyannis Port for someone's wedding. John Kennedy, his wife and sister, Lauren, Were flying from New Jersey, Friday night. Just sixteen miles from Martha's Vineyard Field, The single-engine plane flew somewhere foreign: It sharply dropped, completely out of sight, Beneath the ocean's dark and dismal shield. Now, tragically and truly, lost at sea, They did not answer life's last reveille. In just one moment, tragedy had left A famous family, once again, bereft. The Nation, with the Navy on alert, Was reeling, heavy-hearted and dismayed. How many times must sudden death occur? With diligence, the Navy, most expert, Deployed its divers, brave and unafraid, Who found the bodies, hidden and obscure. The sea, at last, revealed its mystery; And, once again, told tragic history! The shoals of Martha's Vineyard harbor fish, Whose eyes have witnessed more than one may wish: The sailing vessels, floundering the coast; The submarines, submerged in naval war; The summer sailor, managing his mast. To many, Martha's Vineyard is the host Of those who seek, not grapes, but to explore Mementos of the present, and the past. A monument shall rise, bestride this cove, To mark where divers found their treasure-trove! As ashes burn to ashes, dust to dust, Some say, an ocean burial is just For those who brave the perils of the sea. And so, the friendly fires, in love, were lighted, And used to char their sad remains. They, then, Were purely placed in separate urns, for three: Our gentle John, the grieving country knighted; And sisters, two, who shared the same "Amen!" The band's "Eternal Father, strong to save" Caresses roiling waters, as their grave. Toward the ship, a Nation's eyes are cast. Its flag, now, slowly slithers to half-mast. The Navy chaplain gravely bows his head, And tensely reads a tear-worn paragraph. As urns of ashes splash into the sea, Ten rifles cruelly crack!! and flying lead Resounds. The sea has split the wheat and chaff, Receiving flowered wreaths, which number three. The bugler plays his plaintive epitaph! The sirens of the sea no longer laugh! DEADLINES Because of the increase of new stories & advertising submitted to the orem-geneva times, our deadline for news 8c advertising is 10:00 a.m. monday. items need to be brought to the orem-geneva tlmes at 538 South State, Orem. Entries may be edited for length and content. If you have any questions please call our office at 225-1340 i |