When I was a young boy, I enjoyed riding my bicycle up and down the street in our neighborhood. My mom let me ride on the sidewalk on our side of the street or in the street, but she didn’t let me ride on the other sidewalk across the street.
My friends, on the other hand, were allowed to ride on either sidewalk but not the street. They – and their parents – thought it was weird that I wasn’t allowed on the other sidewalk but was allowed on the street.
At the time, I wanted to ride on all three, but I didn’t think much of not being able to ride on the other side. I didn’t understand how that seemed odd.
Now I understand better.
My friends’ parents were worried about the cars in the street. They figured the sidewalks where safer.
My mom, though, was worried about the people on the other side of the street. She figured the street was safer.
And now that I think about it, she was right.
Cars are predictable. You never trust a car on the road driving straight toward you. But people aren’t predictable. You do have to trust them sometimes. And sometimes people are wonderful, and sometimes they aren’t.
So there’s the life lesson for the day: people are the real risk, not the physical environment or situations we’re in. People influence us and change us for better or for worse. People affect us unpredictably and alter who we are. People are dangerous.
Cars are much safer.
