Do you ever see news stories that make you wonder, “What was someone thinking of??” Or sometimes, even, “Was anyone thinking at all??”

Let me say first off that I think the idea of field trips for individuals in mental institutions has some real value in helping folks begin to feel comfortable moving back into the “real” world.

However…how on earth anyone ever thought that taking a mentally ill killer on a field trip–to a county fair of all places!–was a good idea boggles my mind. Especially when the nurses who were caring for him protested that he was unstable and that they thought that the field trip was not a good idea.  And then…after he ditched his chaperones, why did it take 2 hours before 911 was called??

I’m just glad that this particular situation ended without anyone being hurt–and trust that those in charge have learned a few things, i.e.:

• It’s a good idea to think if a decision you make would please you and your family if you weren’t the one making the decision.
• Listen to the folks who are closest to the situation if there’s any question about whether something is a good idea or not.
• If something goes wrong, act quickly to start getting it fixed.