Alertness vs. carelessness Being aware of what is taking place
around me so I can have the right responses. Alertness is a
simple yet powerful concept. Used wisely, alertness to
surrounding circumstances can give you an edge on approaching
dangers and emerging opportunities. Alertness is a form of
“information indexing.” Our minds create a general list of the
objects and opportunities which pass within reach of our
attention. However, we can give attention to only a relative few
of these, so many are either ignored or filed away in memory.
Alertness is exercising our ability to notice and file away
information for future reference as needed. Fifteen-year-old
Kate Shelley was helping her mother clean up after dinner as the
storm of July 6, 1881, raged outside. Kate listened carefully
when she heard something clanking in the distance near the
railroad track running alongside the creek. On stormy nights, a
crew often checked the tracks ahead of the late-night train. As
she completed her chores, Kate remained ale