Being Prepared for Unexpected Emergencies

* I had just driven back from Palm Springs when the phone rang. My wife answered and handed me the telephone with a very strange look on her face.

An unknown voice asked, “Do you know James Becker?” I responded yes. She went on to explain that he and his friend needed a ride home from San Bernardino as they were involved in an auto collision.

My wife asked, “Why did they call you?” I said Jim’s son was out of town and everyone else was on the road back from Palm Springs.

I pulled the car out of the garage and had a strange thought: What if this happened to us? Who would we call? What would we do?

This must happen daily, hourly. Who thinks of a plan in case of such an accident? We plan for fire, earthquake, vacations and untold other events in our lives. But who even has thought about what to do in case of an accident miles away from home and family?

Every new wallet and purse we buy has a little card in it: “In case of accident, notify or call ---.” We generally discard that.

What a mistake; what a terrible omission. How did we miss this important aspect of personal safety?

JOSEPH R. LUCCHINO

Fountain Valley