"It Is The Mark Of An Educated Mind To Entertain A Thought Without Accepting It."

By Reenee, Santa Maria

Well, I must say, the break I took was well worth it. For creativity to flow unfettered when you need it, you must go some place...any place, to clear out all of the unnecessary stuff that clogs your already overworked and occasionally misfiring synapses. While trying to get in touch with my alpha waves I discovered that I have none; however, in my quest, I ran across an excellent book, that everyone should read. The title of the book says it all, but I do recommend reading it anyway. Living Successfully With Screwed Up People, by Elizabeth Brown. It won't change your life, nor will it solve all of your problems, but you might get a better insight into why people do what they do. More importantly, you might at least begin to understand why you do what you do. Give it a whirl, or not.

What compelled me to take my much needed break were two stories recently in the local news. One was my irritation at the coverage that the newspapers were giving to Santa Maria Judge, Diana Hall. Yes, she's a judge, and yes, some of us will hold her to a higher standard than perhaps we would a drug pusher, but we must also keep in mind that people make mistakes.

Some mistakes are bigger than others. Some people only make the headlines because of their position in the community. Each and every time that her current woes are reported on, there has to be a mention of the fact that it all began with a domestic disturbance. Actually, were it anyone else, the story would move on.

However, since it involved her "former live-in partner Deidra Dykeman" this must be mentioned as well. Is this as important as the subsequent events? Or is it there for titillation? I'll answer that, it's the latter. We're never given a chance to forget something about her personal life that really and truly is none of our business! What is it with the preoccupation of her lifestyle? How in the world is that going to affect anyone's life? I suggest moving on.

In any case, the formal proceeding Diana Hall faces is rare. According to today's story, the Commission on Judicial Performance received complaints on about 848 of the state's 1,610 judges in 2004. Interestingly enough, Diana Hall's case is the first to result in a hearing this year. Imagine that. Others that have followed this story have taken a decidedly different view, and implied that Judge Hall cannot get a fair trial in Santa Maria. That might be true, and considering the Michael Jackson fiasco, anything is possible. Hmm, perhaps if someone wanted to write a book...now there's a thought.

The other story was the heartbreaking waste of two young lives in Lompoc, in a horrific accident on October 31st. High school boys. One was 16, the other was 17, and the third, also aged 17 is still in very serious condition.

Only last December, Santa Maria lost three teenaged boys. In that accident, the dead were two 17 year olds and one 14 year old. A fourth, aged 16, survived. Why does this happen so often? Could it be that most teenagers believe that they're invincible? I know that they think they're smarter than everyone else, this is what makes them so insufferable for a while, at least I know I was. But indestructible?

Does this temporary "superiority complex" extend to their belief that nothing can ever happen to them? I never once thought this, but then I had a mother that had convinced me that she'd simply "take me out" if I got too big for my britches. I'd like to think that these deaths will in some way have a impact on how all other young drivers behave when behind the wheel of a car. Perhaps in the days that immediately follow a such tragedy of this magnitude, these kids do think about how short life can be. However, after the shock wears off, they'll be back to the "it won't happen to me, I'm too smart" mode.

You don't believe me? Drive around town before and after school hours. Or better yet, pay attention to who's driving beside you during the summer or weekends. I've been noticing that these young drivers also, many more times than I can count, seem to have a cell phone stuck in their ear. Will banning hand held cell phones help? Well, no, it won't. Wearing a headset won't eliminate the distraction, all it will do is get them to maybe put both hands on the steering wheel.

How about the ever present "need for speed"? There are several streets in Santa Maria that double as "speedways." It has been noted that "teenagers' perceptions of their own skills and those of the drivers around them contribute to their risky behavior. Drivers who believe they are highly skilled are less likely to properly evaluate a risky situation. Young drivers in particular are much more likely to overestimate their skills."

Whatever the cause of these accidents is, it's clear that something must be done. At present, 27 states have restrictions on teen drivers. Some would be viewed as harsher than others, by both parents and teens.

For example, in New Jersey, drivers under 18 years old can have no more than one passenger; teen passengers are not allowed in a car operated by a teen driver, and the curfew for teen drivers is midnight.

California has passed laws that will go into effect January 1, 2006 that many teens and parents will be grumbling about. Before they groan, grumble and write letters to the editors, they might want to go spend the day with the parents that lost their teenagers. This should prove more educational than anything else.