by Ronnie Dauber

Created on: May 29, 2008

My life has been abruptly turned around because the lady in the car behind me was too busy talking on her cell phone to see me. So, I would have to say yes, cell phone use should be banned while driving.

I am very thankful that I was not injured more seriously than I was. And yet, the injuries I suffer have changed my life so much that every day I have to remind myself to forgive her for what she did to me. I know she did not run into me intentionally, but that doesn't alter the facts. She was a business lady racing off to some meeting and in her haste, was more concentrated on her cell phone conversation than on the road.

Four years ago I was probably at the peek of my life. I had raised seven children and to my pride, all of them were becoming established in their own professional careers. And not one of them had indulged in drugs, alcohol or clubbing. I had succeeded as a mother.

When my youngest child was twelve years old, I returned to college and received my diploma in business administration and legal studies, and then I lucked out by getting a fantastically exciting job in the legal profession. I had been there eight years and I had absorbed a wealth of legal knowledge, and had developed an overwhelming understanding of life and human rights.

I had friends and I mingled and dined with some of the greatest and most respected judges out there. I often thought about the struggles I had been through raising my children the financial struggles, the tragedies that some of them endured and the worrying and praying for them every day. Those times were over and good times were up ahead.

I had finally made it into the career of my dreams, but I knew I could go further. I knew that with some night classes and a little more time, and I could climb the legal ladder even higher. I loved working with people, I understood the law, I was familiar with court procedure and my family totally supported my career. There was nothing to stop me from going up.

Nothing until a car ran into the back of me full force, damaging my back and legs just enough that I had to end my long awaited dream forever. I'll never forget her face as they lifted me into the ambulance. She kept saying she was sorry, she didn't see me. I wanted to smash her cell phone but I couldn't move.

It isn't fair. I had been so faithful to my family, giving up my working career in the beginning so I could be at home to raise my kids. My short-lived career is over and I'm back at home, only this time there are no kids. I can't go shopping, I can't play baseball with my kids, I can't work freely in my gardens; I can barely walk. There is so much that I will never do again all because of a cell phone.

Yes, I am thankful that I now have all the time I need to pursue my career as a writer, something I've done my whole life as a hobby. Sometimes I get depressed because I know I was good and I could have made it as a lawyer, but that dream has been taken from me. Why? Because that lady needed to talk on her cell phone instead of paying attention to driving her car.

Should cell phones be banned while driving? Absolutely, yes. Medical research on the brain has revealed that you can be deeply concentrated on only one thing at a time. Since you can't see the person you're talking to on a cell phone, you need to concentrate on what they're saying to you. So how can you possibly concentrate on driving a car at the same time? You can't.

And I'm here writing this as proof of that fact.

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