|
|
| # 31 Truckers do eat quiche |
|
Truckers do eat quiche; we just call it Bacon and Egg pie with veggie’s in it.
And I’m sick and tired of hearing some people within our industry say “toughen up, get on with it” when a traumatic incident happens to someone else within our industry.
These people are normally newbie’s, been around 10 minutes and think that Superman drives a Mack truck.
I’ve decided I’m going to verbally kick the arse of the next person I hear say it, because we aren’t allowed to actually do it anymore, are we.
Ya need a dam good kicking every now and then; it keeps you on your toes.
It’s very easy to get stupid and complacent when it’s all going along fine.
I’ve had a few in my time and I’ve learnt from every one of them.
It hasn’t necessarily been what I’ve wanted to learn, but sometimes you’ve got no choice in the matter.
Sit down, boy.
Shut up.
Listen, and Learn.
All the very best lessons in life are learnt this way and it’s for that very reason that I fear for anyone coming through the new system of education.
Their masters believe that everything should be fair, an even playing field.
But life isn’t like that, is it?
Life is great, but it can be a barstard.
It can be the most precious thing you own, and it can become very cheap.
Sometimes, a “kicking” can go on for far too long, especially if it’s one that you’re giving yourself.
I watched a guy on the telly recently, who had been involved in a tragedy some years before; he felt that he was responsible for all the sadness and grief that had befallen his friends and their families.
He had lived with this guilt for ten years, more than one third of his lifetime.
His head new that he wasn’t really to blame, but his heart felt that he was.
You can’t hide from this sort self punishment, this type of a torture.
Because it goes on the most, when you’re alone and the very soul of the man is being haunted.
If ever a bloke needed a hand to lift the burden he was carrying, it was him.
I hope that he learns how to come to terms with his grief, and before it gets to him.
If ever there was anything I could do to help him carry the load, I would in a heartbeat.
Although I have been extremely lucky to have never been in that situation, I have looked into the eyes of men, friends of mine who have been in a similar situation.
Last year there were sixty-nine fatal accidents involving trucks in this country and the fact that less than 20% were the fault of the trucker has nothing to do with it.
Good people are getting hurt mentally, every week in this industry but because they don’t suffer a physical injury, they receive no help from ACC.
With the new Workplace Stress focus of OSH, the time is now right for the ACC to fix this major injustice and start paying for the counselling and rehabilitation of all accident victims and not just those with physical injuries.
Being the very first on the scene at a fatal and wondering if you could have done something more to stop it happening, requires some serious help to come to terms with. The flashbacks and situations that trigger the memories can go on for an awfully long time if not treated and is too big a price to pay for driving a truck.
So if you find yourself being staunch, because you think it makes you look cool in front of your numskull mates and you find yourself saying the words “toughen up and get on with it” to someone that has just had a major traumatic, life changing event happen in their life and is struggling to cope with it.
Look over your shoulder first, because if I’m standing behind you, your about to have a major traumatic, life changing event of your own.
If your not part of the solution brother, your part of the problem.
But then, that is “just an old trucker’s point of view.”
|
|
|
|
|
