One recent morning on my daily run I wore a safety vest for the first time in a long time.

It’s a reflective, neon-green vest that I won several years ago as a door prize at a running club banquet and that until recently I had never worn before.

So what prompted me to wear the safety vest on this particular run after going on hundreds of runs without it? A couple of things, I guess.

One is that I headed out the door for my run a little earlier than usual, when it was still dark. Even though I run almost entirely on sidewalks, I do cross a few busy roads so I figured that a little extra visibility couldn’t hurt.

The other main reason that I donned a bright green reflective safety vest for the first time in a long time on my run is that I had safety on my mind, thanks in large part to a Menards TV commercial airing in recent weeks that I have a special affinity for.

The main reason that I have a soft spot for this commercial is that my dog Caleb is in it. He is part of the “family” being protected by smoke and fire detectors available at Menards.

Another reason that I have a special affinity for this particular spot is that parts of it were shot in my home by none other than me. If I don’t say so myself, the footage looks pretty darn good.

But enough with the humble (or not so humble) bragging. The main reason that I mention all of this is that it relates to safety. The first mention of which here involved safety on the run.

While I have not worn my bright green safety vest on a run since the aforementioned morning, I do believe that I make a solid effort to stay safe while working out and in all other areas of my life.

Which reminds me…I probably should check the battery in my bedroom hallway smoke alarm!