It Takes Me Back…

Over the last 10 days or so, I’ve been thinking a lot about reminders.

About 10 days ago, we found out that the son of a neighbour had been killed in a terrible car accident.

Sheldon Streiling had been speeding, and while swerving to avoid hitting one car, hit another, and subsequently burst into flames.

He hadn’t been drinking… he was just going too fast.

Thirty years ago, when I was in grade 12, our whole class was given a similar reminder.

I grew up on the West side of Vancouver, in Kerrisdale, and the stretch of road known as the UBC Highway, was a temptation few teenage boys with access to a car, could ignore.

It was 1980, and it isn’t an excuse, but it was a different time… but apparently… not so much.

Speed fascinated me, and many of my friends.

I would take my parents car out to the UBC Highway, and do a “pass” to look for Police.  If I found the all clear, then the hammer went down, and speeds North of 110 miles per hour were exhilarating… we felt free.

We were young, and indestructible.

…

Until the night we heard that one of our own had been killed at the end of the UBC Highway.

Karen Lysyk had died in a car accident.

The girl who had agreed to go to the Grade 10 Magee High Hoe Down with me, was gone… just like… that.

I don’t know the details… for me, the location of the crash was enough.

I would, and still do, drive fast… but not recklessly fast.

I guess every generation has a Sheldon or a Karen… to serve as a reminder that despite being young, we aren’t EVER indestructible.

Sadly, it takes me back…