Happy New Year and welcome to another “Jive.” Let's get straight into it. Netflix! I don't know how many of you, my dear readers, watch Netflix. I finally signed up the weekend before the big snowstorm to watch one movie, Lionheart. It was worth every minute. Due to the quality of the movie, I ended up watching another one, The Wedding Party, and this was fun unlimited. I understand there is a sequel available—The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai. I can't wait for this to become available on Netflix. If you have not done Netflix yet, be very careful. It can be contagious. I ended up spending a whole weekend watching Good Girls...all eight or nine episodes.
Let's move on to something more local. It is no news that we had a series of snowstorms in January. What I do not like to see is, after the snowfall, people drive with blocks of frozen snow on their rooftops with no consideration for other drivers. I have seen many close calls on the roads. I will appeal to you, my dear readers, if you sometimes do not like to brush off snow, kindly remember that the piece of frozen snow that flies off your vehicle can hurt another person. Life is worth far more than being hit by a projectile or swerving to avoid a projectile and getting into a bad accident.
Still on the roads, I am not familiar with the local laws, but I wish someone with the know-how can start the process for a law to be implemented so that, when roads are dug up by contractors for repair, they resurface the area they dug up so the road surface is as smooth as it was before they began. Many contractors throw tar back on the road, roll over it, and leave it rough, creating an unsmooth road surface, which wears out parts of our vehicles. A good example is the stretch on Powder Mill Road between the Army Laboratory and the intersection of Cherry Hill and Powder Mill.
Now let me address a group of us stubborn folk. I used to be Mr. Macho—not wanting to go to the doctor and all that...not entirely my fault. My fear and respect of injections have kept me away many a time. However, as I have grown older, my body is no longer what it used to be when I was in my twenties. So I know it is a new year and many of you may have made resolutions to do this and that in the new year. Men, I am going to implore you to take the time to get your annual physical done early, preferably before the end of February. Take five minutes to get your blood pressure checked and keep a log. If you are diabetic like me, monitor everything a lot more closely. Exercise—walk around Beltsville—eat right, drink lots more water, and take time to laugh. Laughter cures a lot. If you have internet access, I implore you to go on YouTube and type in, “just for laughs,” and you will see a lot of humor to get you going.
As I wrap up this “Jive” (I intend to keep “Jason's Jive” short and sweet), I want to challenge you to do something nice for someone else for the next five days. It could be giving a simple smile, holding a door for someone, waiting your turn at a 4-way stop, or thanking a law enforcement officer or a fire officer or a medical practitioner. It could even be a little thank you card for the bus driver who takes the kids or grandkids to school, the garbage men, or even the person waiting on you when you dine out. I work with FedEx Express full-time. I have been with it a total of eighteen years but the last eight or nine years as a courier in West Baltimore. (West Baltimore is a different country: trust me. Watch The Wire on YouTube to see what I am talking about.) The fulfillment I get from my job is when I make a delivery and the person getting the package takes the time to tell me "thank you." Two words—but they mean a lot. So thank you for reading my column and again, in whatever way you deem fit, share a smile and remember to tell someone "thank you."