This morning I read a story in The Aucklander about The Right Track programme which is an intense program for first time motoring offenders to get them to think twice in the future about boy racing, drinking and driving and other motoring activities that are dangerous to themselves and innocent bystanders.
According to the police this programme is having good results, but it seems that funding from Manukau City Council is going to end. They said that it was never a long term exercise.
Amongst other things members of the programme visit the Otara Spinal Unit and meet survivors who now need a wheelchair for their mobility. Funeral Directors talk to them about how they have to pick up body parts after an accident and try to put them together for funeral viewing.
It’s all about having the ambulance at the top of the cliff according to John Finch who developed the programme which is a world first.
My father in law has had throat cancer and as a consequence had a laryngectomy. In conjunction with the NZ Cancer Society he visited many primary schools and told his story. He let the children have a look at the whole in his throat and see how he can talk. He let them ask questions and gave them honest answers. It’s interesting how onto it kids are. He has dozens of letters from students saying that they will never ever smoke. I would say he has probably saved at least one or two lives, which probably represents a six figure sum at least to our health system.
An ambulance at the top of the cliff has to be significantly greater than the cost of mopping people of the road after a needless accident, but unless funding is found, this excellent and selfless service will disappear.
I wrote a song about situations that kids find themselves. It’s called One More Time Around the Block and you can hear it at Music Forte.
It thundered down the road like a young boy racers dream
The Rockford Fosgate sub beat like a life support machine
They never saw what hit them on the wrong side of the bend
They didn’t have an inkling that their lives were going to end.
The mourners stood in silence dressed in dark clothes, mostly black
A mother screamed her lungs out, cried “I want my baby back”
Their friends stood round in circles, still not coping from the shock
They said they be five minutes, one more time around the block.
They were best of friends like they were tied at the seam
They knew what each was thinking and they shared the same big dreams
They were just young men in the prime of their life
Their futures lay before them, empty pages still to write.
But now those days are over and their lives have been snuffed out
The sub’s no longer thumping and their hearts have lost their clout
If only they had listened, if only they had stopped
They said they’d be five minutes one more time arouind the clock.
And now the music’s playing and the mourners begin to pray
They sing the Lord’s Prayer and ask themselves
Why did it end this way?
The V8’s sound like thunder, can’t you hear the engine’s roar?
Car horns sound a last salute with feat flat to the floor
Wish we could have changed the outcome, wish we could have stopped the clock
They said they’d be five minutes, one more time around the clock
They said the’d be five minutes, one more time around the clock.
While this blog is starting to get a good following, I would love to get more readers and encouraging me to keep writing. If you feel that my blog is interesting I would be very grateful if you would vote for me in the category of best blog at the NetGuide Web Awards. Note that the form starts each site with www whereas my blog doesn’t and is of course https://luigicappel.wordpress.com.
Thanks so much for your support:)
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