The learning Curve

As Americans we are trained at an early age to dial 911 in case of emergency. Any emergency. If you crack your car up on the highway a police car will show up with lights flashing and siren wailing. He will direct traffic around the accident and, if needed, help load you in the ambulance. If you burn too many leaves in your front yard and fire truck will appear out of nowhere and extinguish the flames. Even if you are dumb enough to attempt to climb a remote snow capped mountain, one cell phone call and a helicopter will pluck you off the slope. We all tend to be a little careless because there is a back up plan. Dial 911.

Tonight, as I watched the media footage of the oil washing ashore in the pristine marshlands of the Gulf of Mexico, I wondered why someone had not dialed 911. Everyone seemed to be just riding around the spill and talking about how bad it was going to be, or laying out a plastic dam to hold it back. No fire trucks, no flashing lights, no sirens. This looks like an emergency to me! Then it occured to me that there is no back up plan. It is not that we aren't trying, it's that we have no idea what to do. Never thought this would happen?

It reminds me of those shows that I flip past when nothing good is on television. "America's dumbest criminals, kids, sports fans, etc..". You watch them and laugh at just how stupid some people can be. "They must be drunk to do that". It's hilarious! "What was he thinking?" You are witnessing the learning curve.
Why do we carry a gas can in the trunk of the car? Why is there a jack and a spare tire there too? That credit card in the back of your wallet that you never use? It's called "just in case". Well we have arrived at "just in case" and there is no 911 to call. When will we learn?