Watching, being alert, looking out for various things, can and will change our behavior. It can change in good ways, helpful ways, IF we are watching for the right things.

Basketball

Now young men just starting to play a little basketball are not always as focused as they should be. They are still learning, so they have learned to look all around them, trying to see what is going on. That is a good thing within limits, but the down side is that they may be aimlessly looking around, not paying attention to anything in particular, sort of droopy acting, gazing here, gazing there. Perhaps the key word here is “aimlessly.” In other words, they may be looking around, but not in any focused in any way, not with any particular purpose.

That of course is bad for trying to play a good game of basketball. Yes in basketball they need to be looking around, but not aimlessly, and not at just at anything or everything. They need to be focused on what they are trying to do: play a game of basketball.

Even now I can hear the coaches yelling out, “Heads up, boys! Heads up!” Meaning that they should be watching the game and who is going where, and who has the ball. Just at that moment a young man is hit in the side of the head by a ball that he should have caught! He was distracted. He should have been paying attention to what he was doing!

“Heads up, boys! Heads up!”

Danger: Looking out for cars

Of course cars can be very dangerous, even to pedestrians, or we might even say, especially to pedestrians. There is no anchor, no seat belt for the pedestrian. There is no crash cage designed to take part of the impact if you are hit by something. The pedestrian does wear any instantly inflating air bags to cushion the blow of a collision with a bigger object. Even adults are all along killed by getting hit by cars or trucks. Sometimes it is the automobile drivers who are at fault. Sometimes they are driving too fast or without enough concern for those around.

On the other hand, often it is the fault of the pedestrian, and at times they may simply not be acting in a watchful manner for the dangers which may be coming near them. Or they forget, perhaps merely for a moment, where they are, and what might be coming near them, and they in an instant reverse direction, and walk right into the path of a coming car.

To train children to be watchful when they are crossing a street is an important function. Really in many ways it is a training issue. It is has to be an automatic response: looking both ways before crossing a street.

A car does NOT have to be coming for Watching
to be a GOOD habit.

It is a good habit period. You may think no car can be coming, but be thinking wrong. It is always good to be watchful, looking for possible dangers.