The Chevy pickup with the chrome game deflector covering its grill never slowed down before it hit me.  I had been waiting for a coal truck going the opposite direction to pass so I could turn left. I could see it coming, but could do nothing to avoid it. I told my buddy to brace for impact, but my dogs in the rear had no warning and were thrown from the vehicle.
Though the impact caused considerable damage and shocked us momentarily, we jumped out to kick some ass, only to find a sixteen year-old girl frantically batting the fire from her cigarette out of her hair, screaming to her friends, “I never saw him.” She was on lunch break from high school, in her boyfriend’s new ride, oblivious to everything around her. She learned the hard way.

The unaware are everywhere, texting while walking into open holes or fountains in malls, crashing cars while adjusting the sound system, walking into traffic immersed in conversation or running into you in the supermarket while rubbernecking merchandise. They do it while biking and skateboarding, backing out of parking spaces, working on ladders and performing dangerous tasks, oblivious to possible consequences.

Tony, the new hand, was told never to hold the trigger of any tool on the jobsite, but when Rick passed a pneumatic stapler from the roof, he grabbed the trigger, dropped his hand down, touching the safety-guard to his groin and got a 1/2” x 3” staple fired into his leg, barely missing his junk. I pulled him, whimpering in pain, from the scaffold into the house we were framing. The staple held his jeans to his leg, so I grabbed my pliers. “No Jimmy, no.” he yelled. Pointing outside, I asked, “is that your motorcycle?” as he turned to look, I grabbed the staple and yanked it out, causing him to sag in pain and surprise. I made him pull his pants down and saw two puncture wounds, like a spider bite from Hell. He got a tetanus shot, some ribbing from us and never returned to the job. Lesson learned.

My neighbor’s son, owlish glasses and clueless expression, walked with his second-grade class into the library, staring at me and never noticing the bookshelf until he slammed into it, increasing his awareness.
Although not always innate, awareness can be acquired with moderate effort. If you’re truly interested, it’s an investment offering immediate dividends. Starting with the premise that, “Hey, maybe I’m the problem,” or, “I wonder how she feels about this,” you can acquire a lot of information, which if applied, can change your attitudes, relationships and future. Terms like empathy, compassion, consideration and acceptance enhance your vocabulary and life. By wanting to, and trying to, you can become an aware individual.
Paying attention is a small price to pay for a better world. It certainly couldn’t hurt. You may not be aware of it, but someone may be watching, and aware of you.