WESTSIDE — Some things just don’t change. For instance. . . . .

Do you remember last Thursday morning? It was cold. It was foggy. Vegetation was covered with frozen fog, which made a pretty picture.

I drove around town early Thursday as I do most every morning. There were some areas where the fog was negligible; in others I could see less than 50-or-so feet down the road.

Car lights glowed and brightened as they came closer. Red tail lights were less visible, finally showing their glow as brakes were applied. Except . . . .

Yep, you know where I’m going. Every so often there was this lone vehicle without lights on that suddenly poked through the fog. It was very evident the driver had rushed to the car, loaded the kids for school and headed out. In the fog. Careless? Not really. Just not thinking. It happens toeach of us more often than we would care to admit.

I’m reminded that for several years I’ve ranted that drivers should be required to turn on their lights all the time. It’s particularly important when entering a highway or street from a side street when a grayish-dark vehicle pops in front of you as you attempt to cross or enter the line of traffic. That type near-miss has happened to me and believe me it is scary when I realize just how close a collision is avoided. Lights on can be a real life-saving factor.

Broadsiding a carload of kids en route to school is not something any one of us would like to be a part of. Especially if turning onlights could prevent such a tragic occurrence. Turn on those lights.

Some things don’t change. For instance . . . . .

The rising price of gasoline. Yep, it’s at the $3-plus level again, heading higher. And if that continues it will threaten the so-called improvement in our nation’s financial picture.

With America geared to gas guzzlers which are so much a necessity for all of us, such a price surge is particularly hurtful, especially to the everyday working guy or mom who was already struggling before the 50-cent-plus increase of recent weeks.

Relief has to come or we will see the recession-recovery stall out and we’ll slip backward. And it will be compounded by a new “bubble” that could break - a stock market bubble. The speculators and hedgers and risk takers are all trying to recoup their losses from the past two years in a bubble-like frenzy. Such an explosive occurrence could bring an unexpected - or expected - tumble.

What we need is a year or two of careful, deliberate growth without bubblebursting surprises. The inflation factor is already at work - sometimes hidden with the use of smaller packages or decreased product quantity in many off-the-shelf items.

We’ve got to cool it, regain stability and move toward a sustainable growth pattern void of dramatic price changes or bubbles. Otherwise, we’re looking at more painful bumps in the road.

Some things just don’t change. For instance . . . .

Have you noticed how much longer the days are? We’re gaining about two minutes of daylight every 24 hours as Mom Nature weaves her annual spell of turning winter into spring. We’re all ready, aren’t we? Those seed catalogs are really good reading.

Dodie Evans is the editor emeritus of the Westside Eagle Observer and may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 6 on 02/02/2011