However, I’d really appreciate your reading this and giving it some thought.
Today I went downhill mountain biking. Upon arriving the 3 of us started gearing up. A couple of us put on shin, knee guards, and full face helmets. The third individual went for full body armor, chest, spine, knee and shin guards, forearm and bicep pads, as well as the full face helmet. He started getting hazed a bit because…well it was a very humid, muggy day and the others were going without.
A couple of hours later as the three were chasing each other down the mountain the guy in all the gear was taking a hard right turn through a berm. If you aren’t familiar with this, its a banked turn that you lay the bike over close to horizontal. The berm broke. As the bike slid out it hit a tree and sent the rider tumbling downhill through the trees and over a 10ft cliff where he landed against some logs.
His helmet was split in the front and back and the back of his shirt had all but ripped completely off. He sat there and collected himself while the others struggled to get to him. He walked away from it. That was me.
Just wanted to say it wasn’t the gear that saved me, it was making the right decision. I was saved before I started the ride. I try hard to make good decisions. Just like everyone else I make some poor ones as well. Today I chose to do what I knew was right even though it was miserable to wear that gear and I’m here to type this. (Although a bit stiff)
Just saying good decisions take practice. I’d like to encourage all of you to do what you know is right even when you don’t really want to.
Today could have been terribly different for myself and family.
Regards,
Steve