A frequently asked question among the thousand or so I've had on Reddit's AMA

"You seem to have lived a remarkable life. I'm 20 years old and I'd appreciate any advice you could give me, and others like me, for the future."

It should be obvious that it is from statements like this that I get a great deal of pleasure in conversing with the young people of Reddit. Often there are qualifiers regarding the individual's situation and we often engage in a two-way conversation.

Unfortunately since I am hastily preparing to take leave for three weeks, I'm not able to give an in-depth deeply thought expose. But I did want to share a reaction to a bit of research I've seen recently that verifies a recent concern of mine - a rather mundane topic that I've yearned to talk about with young people.

Last year, the U.S. had the highest one-year percentage increase in traffic deaths in half a century, according to 2015 data released Wednesday by the National Safety Council (NSC). Initial estimates, which may be revised when more information becomes available, indicate that 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads in 2015, and roughly 4.4 million sustained injuries that resulted in medical consultations. The number of deaths rose 8 percent from 2014, compared with a less than 0.5 percent increase between 2013 and 2014 and a 3 percent drop the previous year.  

While I am well aware that oldsters like me may well often be the culprit, and therer are multiple causes, here's my simple bit of advise:(unsolicited I know) for young people:

WHY BE IN SUCH A HURRY?  A 70 MPH SPEED LIMIT DOESN'T MEAN YOU MUST GO 70! WHEN DRIVING A FEW MILES ON THE HIGHWAY, TAKE IT EASY!  YOU'D SAVE GAS AND NOT LOSE MORE THAN A MINUTE OF TIME.  AND DON'T FOLLOW SO CLOSELY BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT!

So that's my prejjudice/advise for all whether you asked for it or not.  I primarily wanted to have a final say before being away for 3 weeks.  I've been more than gratified to see the great increase in "hits" on my RANT BLOG.

But even more important, I feel, is making sure as many as possible read the Rant (and listen to the lecture) of two weeks ago.  If you haven't seen it, may I strongly suggest you continue for 20 minutes or so to consider the following quote and the speech it inspired?

Allowables
-Nikki Giovanni

I killed a spider
Not a murderous brown recluse
Nor even a black widow
And if the truth were told this
Was only a small
Sort of papery spider
Who should have run
When I picked up the book
But she didn't
And she scared me
And I smashed her

I don't think
I'm allowed

To kill something

Because I am

Frightened

Giovanni's simple poem served as the focus of a very powerful lecture that gave an implicit, yet veiled, insight into present national and world-wide conditions..

But I'm compelled to be up front and tell you that it was delivered as a sermon in the church I attend and feel very comfortable in although I consider myself to be an agnostic atheist – truly, I guess, a humanist.

And regardless of what your view of "church/mosque/synagogue" going might be, I hope you'll follow the leads below, take 20 minutes to give the talk a listen.  It's the sermon for Sunday, October 2.

I'm sorry it does not include the very moving and nontraditional "songs".

Pete Seeger's, "If I Had A Hammer" 
Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny ''Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding"
"Bright Morning Star" with Cantor and choir and

The traditional Afro-American spiritual, "There Is More Love Somewhere"

Here's the link ;

http://www.all-souls.org/past-sermons

I'll welcome any thoughts and reactions.

See you in a month.

Ron