Mindful boy became hero
Tam-Tri LePhenikaa University (Hanoi, Vietnam)
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3384-4827
May 3, 2023
Dillon Reeves was on the bus after school when the driver suddenly passed out due to health problems. Quickly, the seventh grader went to the front, stepped on the brake, and steered the bus to safety [1].
That day, the 13-year-old boy did not only save himself, the driver, and all the other children on the bus, but he also saved many people in the surrounding cars and houses. A disaster would have happened if Dillon had not acted quickly and precisely acted.
Image. Screenshot of the moment Dillon saved the school bus (from The Guardian’s news video) [1]
What was the most important thing that turned this boy into a life-saving hero in the heat of trouble? It was his ability to notice what was going on. Yes, this sounds like a normal thing, but it was absolutely crucial.
Dillon’s father said the boy was an attentive driver of golf carts. He knew certain things about driving. But most importantly, his mindfulness was the key in that critical moment. Imagine this: if none of the children on the school bus had noticed that the driver fainted, then no amount of knowledge could have prevented a collision. A school bus packed with kids glued to their digital devices would have met a tragic fate.
In modern life, it is hard to be sober living within this chaotic infosphere. Children and adults alike are constantly bombarded with strong stimuli. But is all that information really useful? Our attentiveness suffers from various distractions all the time. Again, think of the destructive effect of attention-grabbing short-form content all over the Internet. Many blame smartphones, but it is our decisions and habits that need to be held accountable.
Reflecting on our experiences to develop sober thinking saves lives at best and feels refreshing at worst [2]. Stay mindful, and you will already be the hero of your life.
References
[1] Vargas R. (2023). Michigan boy hailed as hero for preventing bus crash after driver fainted. The Guardian.
[2] Vuong QH. (2023). Meandering Sobriety. Amazon Digital Services.