Drives Me Crazy

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“The life you might save might be mine.”
James Dean

405 Freeway Los Angeles, California

I’ve been driving in Los Angeles for almost 50 years. When I first got my license, I enjoyed driving. That quickly changed, when I had to commute a long distance to work and the freeways became a nightmare any time of day.

With the quarantine in Los Angeles, the roads and freeways are less congested but with less congestion, I’ve noticed more drivers speeding and also running red lights. This week alone, I’ve witnessed a half a dozen drivers running red lights. I’m not talking about when the light is yellow, I’m talking about blatantly after the light had turned red.

On my walk the other day, I was coming up on a 4-stop intersection with a 25-mph zone. I watched in disbelief as a driver speeding at what might have been 40-mph blow through the intersection. Luckily for me, I hadn’t stepped out onto the crosswalk yet.

Most of you fellow Blogaholics, I would guess, have been involved in one or more auto accidents. Some may have been minor but chances are they were major involving someone who was critically injured or died. Several years ago, during torrential rain storms in California, I was driving on the freeway when my 300Z sports car hydroplaned. It rolled several times before crashing right-side up on a patch of grass next to the freeway. I was able to crawl out through the driver’s side broken window without a scratch. To this day, I could never understand how I didn’t hit any other driver and I wasn’t killed.

One of my favorite movie stars, James Dean who at just 24-years old was driving to a car race competition 85 miles an hour when he hit another car head-on as it crossed the center line. The irony was, a few months earlier, Dean and actor Gig Young filmed a public service announcement for the National Safety Council, warning of the dangers of speeding. Dean, dressed as the Texan character he played in his last film, “Giant,” warned that driving too fast on the highway can be even more dangerous than speeding on a race track, where there are “more rules.” He said he didn’t “have the urge to speed on the highway.” He was supposed to end the PSA by saying, “The life you save may be your own,” but decided to ad-lib, joking, “The life you might save might be mine.” Sadly, Dean didn’t follow his own advice and died way too young.

The 2020 statistics say, 1.35 million people die in road accidents Worldwide every year. That’s 3,700 deaths a day. Which brings car crashes as the 8th leading cause of death for people globally. The number of people killed yearly doesn’t seem to affect people’s bad driving habits. I don’t know about you, but 3,700 deaths a day from automobile accidents is too large a number of deaths and just drives me crazy.

Shine On

Kent State Massacre

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“Four Dead in Ohio”
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

John Filo, Pulitzer Prize Photo, May 4, 1970

Fifty years ago, on May 4, 1970, twenty-eight National Guard soldiers fired approximately 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the Vietnam War while others shot had been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.

It’s a time in our history we are not our proudest, but should never forget. Over the years, there have been numerous plays, books, movies and music written about that historic day.

Here is one of the best-known protest songs, “Ohio”, written by Neil Young for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young about the Kent State Massacre:

OHIO

Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming
We’re finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her and
Found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know

Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming
We’re finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Four dead in Ohio

Shine On

The Bright Side

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“No one ever injured their eyesight,
by looking on the bright side.”

The Bright Side

Shine On

My Little Piece of Heaven

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“My soul can find no staircase to Heaven
unless it be through Earth’s loveliness.”
Michelangelo

Aerial view of Portuguese Bend looking out on the Pacific Ocean.

There’s a very special place that is not well-known among Angelenos. I always felt extremely fortunate to have been part of this very special place. The beautiful flowers, trees and vegetation encompassing this place made it my secret garden.

The aromas from fresh hay, flora and fauna were always intoxicating. The 1920s Spanish architecture of the home and stables so breathtakingly dreamlike, that it was often used as a film location.

For over eight wonderful years I would visit this place daily, rain or shine. The reason for my visits was because my best friend Jimmy lived there. He and I would explore the surrounding hills and valleys. Every spring we hiked and then we relaxed on the rich green grassy knolls.

It was my church, my sanctuary, my favorite place to be. It made me feel needed, wanted, and safe. It gave me purpose. It kept me happy and sane.

I miss this place more than I ever thought possible.

Now, it is forever in my daily thoughts as well as my nightly dreams. I would like to return someday, but it is much too painful to return. For to return to this place, where Jimmy once lived, would not be the same without him.

So, for now, I look at old photos and videos and reminisce about a time when I was the happiest I’ve been in my life. Those years seem as if they were all a glorious and magical dream. A time when I was the closest to heaven as I’ll ever know.

This wondrous place was and always will be, my little piece of heaven.

Shine On

From the Heart

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“The best and most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched
– they must be felt with the heart.”
Helen Keller

Daisy 1985 to 2005

There’ve been dozens of dogs that I have known throughout my life. All of these dogs were not merely pets, but all were considered family members. All these dogs had unique personalities as unique as their breeds. But, there was one dog of mine that stood out from all the rest. She was a Golden Retriever from the pound and her name was Daisy.

Daisy arrived unexpectedly one day. A friend had obtained Daisy from the pound and because of this friends recent hip surgery she was finding it difficult to care for Daisy.

I was hesitant to adopt a dog. Mostly because I worked at a demanding full-time job, had a young son, and my boyfriend and husband to be was recovering from a massive heart attack. Also, Daisy had a bad reputation for getting into the trash, digging her way out of yards and running away, and was extremely unruly. But, there was something I saw in this dog’s eyes. Something that showed me we were kindred spirits.

One of Daisy’s worst habits was jumping on anyone that entered our home. To my surprise, Daisy was a quick learn. After her first week with us, she stopped getting into the trash, never jumped on anyone ever again, and never ever dug one hole in the yard. In fact, you could leave every door open in the house and she wouldn’t step one paw over the threshold.

I had lots of experience over the year’s training difficult dogs, but Daisy wasn’t difficult by any means. On the contrary, she was the smartest dog I had ever encountered. She was so well-mannered, that one night my husband left a half-eaten roast beef sandwich on the coffee table and Daisy didn’t eat or even lay a paw on the sandwich.

Why was Daisy such a good dog? It was simple. She had the best food, the best care, was taken for daily walks, and she was loved and groomed like a princess. She was always made to feel secure. Basically, Daisy knew how much we loved her. A love that we both felt, from the heart.

Shine On