I feel the need to share two unrelated items. The first a public service announcement. The second a fear for my life.

#1

Last Wednesday I became incredibly ill at work and, though I had used up all my PTO on the vacation I just took, I was forced to leave early. I went home and slept most of the afternoon but still had intense stomach pains throughout the afternoon and evening. The next morning I felt better but was still not able to eat for most of the day. I attributed my illness to the cheap gas station cappucino that I drank that morning but when I went to work the next day, I found out that several of my coworkers had fallen ill as well.

The culprit: A banana. That is right people!

Out of the handful of people who had eaten a banana from the bunch, half of us got sick. One of my coworkers theorized that we had touched the outside of the banana and got the pesticides on our hands. Then we tore of a chunk of the banana off and put in in our mouth therefore transferring the pesticide residue in our mouths.

I now rinse off my bananas and wash my hands before I eat them. It may not be necessary but I hope to never feel like that again. It took me several days before my stomach was back to normal. It definitly makes me want to switch to organic fruits and vegetables.

#2

This article was on CNN.com yesterday:

Teen accidentally kills mom during driving lesson

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (AP) -- -- A 15-year-old girl accidentally struck and killed her mother while being taught how to parallel park, police said.
Tina Rowe, 39, died Saturday after being pinned under a 1997 Chevy Cavalier driven by her daughter.
Police believed the girl may have hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.
Police said the teen won't face criminal charges.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

This is exactly what I fear happening while trying to teach Julie to drive. As I was coaching Julie on her first driving experience, it became so clear to me how easy it would be for her to totally freak out and slam on the gas instead of the break. Even though we were surrounded by corn and wheat fields, the thought still scared the crap out me. Now, of course, this short article confirms that my fear could become a reality. So I have decided that when the time comes, I’m going to leave it up to the professionals. I will take her to driving school and let them risk their lives. Still the time will come when she will finish driving school and have a license. I will have no choice but to let her drive and once again will fear for my life. I’m sure my parents felt the same way, especially with the many speeding tickets and other unmentionable things that I did.