Back Seat Babies

Sadly, it happens every summer.  An infant dies of heat exposure from being left in the back seat during a hot day.  It has already happened this year.  I pray that means we are done for the year.  Other than that guy from Texas a few years ago, all of the other children have died from a simple mistake.  Parents have forgotten that they had the child in the back seat.  It has been a mistake, but far from an innocent one.  I can't imagine the hell a parent would have to endure from making the mistake.  At the same time, how can you possibly forget that you have your baby in the back seat?

A police spokesperson gave a news conference about this issue.  He said, with a straight face, when you are putting your child in the car seat, please toss your cell phone in the back seat as well.  This will help since you might forget about your baby, but you will never forget your cell phone. 

The reporter covering the news conference repeated this advice at the end of the report. Again, with a straight face.  As if she was dispensing some wisdom.  The anchor thanked her for this tip and hoped it would help save lives. 

While you may forget about your baby, you will never forget your cell phone. 

That has to be one of the saddest statements I will ever type.  While you may forget about your baby, you will never forget your cell phone.  It is hard for me to even grasp the magnitude of that statement.  While you may forget your most precious prodigy, you will never forget your useless phone. 

Remember when cell phones were something rare and that you only used in emergencies?  Me neither.  It is an established thing now that we see people who are physically sitting next to one another who are communicating by text messages.  What is wrong with us?  Why can't we put down our damn phones?  Ironically, a baby locked in the back seat of a car would count as emergency. 

I have seen someone walk on a beautiful peaceful nature trail and stop five minutes into it and check their phone to view their facebook feed.  Ok, that was me.  We are so dependent on our phones and what is the big deal.  Did it make any difference in my life that a friend was checking in at a restaurant? 

This obsession with our phones is ridonkulous.  We all agree yet we all can't seem to be able to put our phones down.  And apparently, that is a good thing.  This is the only reason that is keeping our babies alive.  While you may forget about your baby, you will never forget your cell phone. 

This has to be one of the most tragic statements ever, and the true tragedy is it is probably true.

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