In love with freedom

Today we all have the chance to vote, make our mark, influence history, or prepare to pay salaries to our favourite charity cases. It is still exciting to participate in a democratic election, and non voters can shut it for the duration, its just wrong not to make the effort because the cost in lives to get here has been so high. So here's hoping there's still some light in the rainbow nation, and that we will see some real leadership. We will have to live with our choice for the next five years, so it's worth taking seriously. Voting for and supporting a political party is a lot like paying off a car. It may be a decision of a moment to decide to buy a new car but the consequences of the choice linger as it takes five years to pay off and the similarities don't end there. When you get into that car, be it new or second hand, all is wonderful. Think of this as the honeymoon period, or first 100 days in office. You are so in love, with the novelty of this amazing new vehicle, or the brilliant leader that you don't see the warning signs. Little foibles give character, an unyielding suspension has that go kart feeling, similarly odd political decisions are seen as paying back political favours, really no choice in the matter. And just when you think everything is running smoothly, all systems go you are suddenly brought up short when you start running out of fuel, where is it going? Oh of course your neighbour needs it, well after all we owe them and no it's not a loan, rather a gift. You're still in love, but now its time for some tough decisions, like what to do about that little bit of rust, just like corruption, it tends to spread, so you make the decision to deal with it head on, and just like corruption, that damn rust just keeps resurfacing where you least expect it. But you know thats the price you pay to live in a democracy, so we carry on, a little disillusioned but at least we are still going forward. The honeymoon is over after a couple of years, and now we have to pay up to fix those little problems, we need new tyres, we need new shocks, suddenly we rethink our commitment and start looking around for something better. Its official, now we are in the cheating phase, but there are no guarantees that we wont end up worse off. So just like the careful, considered choice we make about which car to buy, check the service history, and customer care credentials, before you make your mark.

Drive safe, eat chocolate.

Easter brings holidays and chocolates, a great excuse to abandon the diet, and family time and tragic road deaths. Every year, we take to the highways and sacrifice some of our number as if to the pagan god of the road. The traffic police will be out in full force enforcing the laws and catching who they can but it will still be a dangerous proposition taking to the streets. Because it's the holidays we may have a toot or three. We tend to overestimate how much alcohol takes you to over limit. It is not two beers, rather a third of one, and a glass of wine which could be anything from 250ml to 450ml is way over the limit. A tot means just that, not a double. The only real way to be safe is no drinking at all.
Apart from guestimating your safe limit, other factors play a role. Unfair as it is women can't drink the boys under the table, as our bodies deal with alcohol differently, we get drunker faster on less, and since we are usually smaller, it takes longer to leave our systems.
Dutch courage may give you charm and confidence but also relaxes your reflexes so split second decisions will take longer.
In addition to the usual precautions we take when driving, staying alert, taking breaks, limiting distractions, keeping a sensible following distance, we can all choose to stay off cellphones behind the wheel. Texting while driving is dangerous, apparently as bad a intoxication. So even if you are the multi tasking mistress of the universe in your daily life, you are fooling yourself if you really think you can do it all when driving. Get a grip. How many times has some idiot cut into your lane, and just when you think they must be blind realise that they have a phone attached to their heads, or are not even looking at the road because they are sending a very important text message. Like "whats for dinner?',or 'what you wearing?". How useless to have an accident over the mundane arrangements of what to eat.
So my Easter wish is that no one gets hurt this year on the roads, but lots of chocolate bunnies get eaten.