Time well spent

I'm quite pleased as I write my column this week.
I'm absolutely "tickled-pink" to live in an area where everyone isn't afraid to slow down and put the welfare of others first.
I say this because during a drive to cover a story this past week I heard sirens coming towards me and when I looked in my rearview mirror I saw vehicles taking to the side of the road in a hurry. There was an ambulance rushing through town and I had mere moments to pull to one side to let the driver through.
I was near the busiest part of town, where many of the grocery and department stores are located - yet all traffic obeyed the rules and let the ambulance through without incident.
This pleased me to no end.
No one knew who was aboard, what the rush or reasoning was, but no one hesitated to ensure that the ambulance got through town quickly and safely.
Having had a personal experience with a driver who wouldn't pull over when emergency lights were flashing, I know the panic and the fear that can set in. Even anger when a doctor tells you that if you never got there when you did - the patient would never had made it. All because a driver who didn't want to take the time to pull his vehicle to one side. Knowing that I had endangered someone's life or worse is something I would never want to live with.
So as a driver, I have made a habit of always glancing in my rearview mirror; to always be aware of any driver or vehicle with their emergency lights flashing.
When a medical emergency arises, a paramedic may only have a number of minutes to get to them or get them into the care they need. If pulling my vehicle to the side of the road ensures the patient gets the medical attention he or she deserves and ultimately saves a life - then I think that's time well spent.