Alertness In School

vs. carelessness

Being aware of what is taking place around me so I can respond appropriately

To practice Alertness I will:

  • tell others of danger
  • keep my eyes and ears open
  • recognize and heed warning signals
  • stay away from unsafe places
  • choose to do right before I’m tempted

    ‘Ready! Fire! Aim!’
    – Bill Croskey

    The other morning, I woke up to the clock radio alarm. As I finished shaving, I noticed the light on my shaver flashing, signifying that it needed a recharge. I heard the coffee maker beep, signifying the coffee was ready. I walked downstairs with my cell phone vibrating in my pocket, indicating that I had a text message waiting. I poured my cup of coffee. I sat down to read the text message and my laptop “dinged,” denoting that I had just received an e-mail. As I put down the cell phone (without actually retrieving the text), I opened my e-mail. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the kitchen faucet blinking. That meant that the water filter was about worn out and it was time to replace it. I opened the refrigerator door and the filter on the ice maker was burning red instead of green. Time to replace THAT filter. Completely forgetting about the text and the e-mails, I went to the garage to find the replacement filters. As I walked by the dryer, I heard it “buzz.” The clothes were dry. (That’s not as handy as the dryers in college dorms, which are programmed to send students an e-mail when their clothes are dry!) The house phone rang. It was a Xavier University automatic call letting me know that the power was out on campus. Ding! More e-mails. Beep, the microwave was done warming my coffee, which had gotten cold while I was looking for the filters. Vibration, letting me know a text had just come through! I stuck everything in the closet and went back to bed. But the snooze alarm went off 45 seconds after I pulled up the covers.

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    Archived Bulletins for Alertness: