RSS 2.0 FeedMarch 3, 2011, Weekly editorial
Little acts of kindness
L.J. Sapp was founder of Towne House Bakery in Asheville, North Carolina, president of a national baking association, member of his local hospital board and the Optimist’s Club. But Jeff is best remembered by many for his quiet acts of kindness over a lifetime of 96 years. A U.S. soldier in Vietnam once wrote to order a cake for his daughter’s first birthday and received the brief answer, “Cake delivered. No charge.”
A little boy caught rummaging through the dumpster one morning got a warm breakfast and instructions to stop by every morning (for years) for breakfast. And when this newspaper’s publisher and editor were little, they stayed with the Sapps while their mother underwent cancer therapy.
As the Rev. Steve Sapp wrote in his eulogy of his father, little or big, acts of kindness can mean a lot, and they are not out of reach for any of us.
Wake up!
Tragic accidents caused by driver fatigue have been in the news lately, making a recent article in the St. Francis Hospital newsletter very timely. Did you know most fatigue- related crashes occur between 4 and 6 a.m.? Probably. But did you know the next peak time is 2-4 p.m., just before rush hour?
Most of these crashes are caused by drivers under 25, men, people with sleeping disorders, adults with children and shift workers. Cold medicines and other medications that include warnings that they may cause drowsiness should be avoided if you are going to drive.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, pulling over for a short nap, 15 or 20 minutes, is the best way to become alert again. A longer nap might just make you groggy. Cold air from an open car window or the air conditioning won’t help. Neither will loud music. Caffeine takes a half-hour to kick in.
The best way to prevent an accident caused by driver fatigue on a long road trip is to bring a passenger and rotate shifts every 100 miles, or two hours. The passenger should stay awake and keep a conversation going, looking for signs of fatigue.
These signs include frequent blinking or yawning, irritability or restlessness, daydreaming, missing exits or traffic signs, trouble keeping his or her head up and drifting into another lane...
Wake up!
