Saturday, November 8, 2008

Having just told you about my recent pedestrian auto accident, my mind flashed back to something that happened 41 years ago, on June 01, 1967, when I was 14 years old. I was in the 8th grade at Mary Lyon Junior High School in Royal Oak Michigan. My home room and Social Studies/English teacher was Mr. Schneider. I was in the Boy Scouts. My rank was First Class. Our meetings were on Thursday nights. On this particular evening I had ridden on my bicycle to the scout meeting with a neighborhood friend Art Kowalski. We had to cross one busy street, the intersection of 14 Mile and Campbell roads. That was the dividing line between 4 suburbans in Metropolitan Detroit. Troy, Royal Oak, Clawson, and Madison Heights all came together at that intersection. We called it 4 corners. On my way to the scout meeting that evening, there was nothing unusual about that intersection. The traffic light was operating with normal operation. We just waited until the light turned green, and then we crossed. Foolishly, we rode our bikes in the streets. On the way home, it was already dark. It was after 9 PM. We rode our bikes in the street again, this time on the shoulder of Campbell Road. When we came to the intersection the traffic light was flashing. It had turned into a flasher at 9:00 PM. I remember noticing that it was flashing, and I was anxious about it. Being as careful as I could, I attempted to cross the intersection. I was struck broadside by a car going eastbound on 14 Mile road about 35 miles an hour. I must have been knocked out because I remember waking up, lying on the street, looking up into the face of a neighbor, Mrs. Mapes who lived half a block way on Sheffield. She was asking me if I was all right. I was taken by ambulance to Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. I stayed over two nights for observation. I had a slight concussion, a sprain, but no broken bones. I guess being on the bicycle protected me. How does this relate to Success and Survival in business? When changes come, and they will, we must be ALERT. and then we must adapt and be flexible to help us get through the changes. Back to the incident I just related; when we were on the way home, and I noticed that the traffic signal had started flashing, I might have avoided the accident entirely by going over to the sidewalk and crossing at the school crosswalk. We must be alert to changes that come. We must slow down, think rationally, and critically. We must be flexible and adapt if we are to survive. I can help you be SUCCESSFUL! THOMAS HAVIS-Detroit, Michigan (313) 516-6043 call anytime