Monday, September 03, 2007

Why do people have to die or get injured or have something stolen before some action takes place?

Think about your life experiences.. How many accidents had to happen at the corner near your home before a stop sign was installed.. Who has to die before friends and neighbors make a loud enough noise to be heard? It seems to me that it has always been that way. That's why starting programs of prevention before cataclysmic events happen usually flop.

"It won't happen to me," seems to be ingrained into our psyche at birth. Yet tragedy still strikes randomly and I can't help but think that we all knew better before it even happened. One of the advantages of living to retirement age is personal experience. Why don't we use our experience to protect ourselves?

It seems to me that something was lost from the childhood we all grew up with. Lost in the frantic hubub of the world of high tech we grew into. Somehow a question of "What's in it for me?" became the mantra of our generation and spilled over into the succeeding evolutions of our children and grandchildren. Lost was the vision of the group standing united and gained was all the treasures that you could store in your garage.

Opportunity to fade back into our heritage and recapture what we have lost is here at Longview Hills. So much life lived. Book upon book of experience ... a treasure trove right here if only we would give up the idea of "What's in it for me" and "It won't happen to me."

Right now we are working on getting an Automatic Defibulator (AED) for the clubhouse. They are all over the Casino at Lincoln City. Why? Seems obvious doesn't it? They are in a lot of stores.. What for? Seems pretty clear if you think about it. With all the activities of a 100% Senior population with a high risk of heart failure why do you suppose there is not one in the clubhouse? Doesn't make sense does it? Give up the idea that "They" should put one in. "We" should do it. We had a poll on this website about what people would commit to giving... If people would commit to only $10 apiece we would have it. Instead about 6 people volunteered $100 apiece and about 15 $10 apiece. Let's call it an unselfish and wonderful gift to our neighbors of about $750... They (AED's) cost $1200 to $1800. Being so expensive we would probably want to insure it against theft.

The CERT team is trying to submit a grant to The Siletz Indian Tribe for assistance in this purchase. There is no free lunch. Soon I will put another poll on line and ask for your pledge for this project. You won't have to give your name but we need to see what we can expect from you so we know what to ask for in a grant... The poll should be on the left side of this site by the time you finish reading this.

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