How About "Start Driving Like a Sane Person Month?"

So this past week has been deemed “Wildfire Awareness Week.  So how does that work? Are we supposed to be extra alert this week in case we see sparks or a fire? Do we make a greater effort to remove dry brush and small, flammable pets from the backyard? It’s kind of odd. It’s one of those weeks that doesn’t seem like it needs attention brought to itself. I mean, most of us who live in California are extremely aware of the fire dangers and hopefully, preventative measures are second nature to us. You know, things like: don’t build an outdoor fire the size of “burning man” when the winds are harsh. Don’t soak your barbecue grill with three cans of lighter fluid. Don’t let the pile of dead leaves get bigger than a smart car. Things like that seem pretty logical and no brainers to people who know how fires start. So do we need a wildfire awareness week to alert those who are fire preparedness-challenged?  It seems we do.

I’ve noticed that just about every cause, movement or demographic wants a week or month of their own now. I know that May is National Bike Month.  The intent is to encourage people to ride bikes more often, which will obviously help their health, congestion on the streets and the bike stores.  That’s fine. I happen to be a bike enthusiast so that works for me, but it still seems slightly unnecessary to have to keep reminding people of things they should already know and be aware of. But maybe I’m underestimating the cognizance of the general public. Either that or we are dumbing down or society to the point where we have to keep underlining and pointing out every little thing to people.

Maybe we need more commemorative weeks and months. How about: Start Driving Like a Sane Person Month, Just Say No To Your Kids Week, Learn How to Use An ATM correctly Month, or  Stop Harassing People You Don’t Know on the internet week?  In my mind, those are all logical and worthwhile causes and deserve more consideration as Wildfire Awareness week.