Hopefully this post can motivate someone to gert back something they lost, like I did.
Last week I met with my doctor to discuss my health, as it stands. Right now I feel pretty good. Starting to walk without my cane, playing with the dog, starting a workout program, things of that nature. When I sat down with the doctor, we discussed things like my activity level, physio, progress, and the like. But the most pressing question for me was, “Will I be able to ride a motorcycle?” To which he responded, “What if you fall?” It stunned me for just a split second. But I responded to his query with. “What if I got hit by a bus?” Would that stop me from going for a walk? Or what if I fell in the river? Would that stop me from crossing a bridge? Or got in a car accident? Would that stop me from driving my truck? What if I fell down the stairs? Or fell in the shower, or, or, or….??” So many “what ifs” we face every day, and never think twice about how dangerous they could be. So what if I fall. It’d hurt, I’d get up. Get fixed, and get right back on. We need to stop thinking about “what if” and consider “What if I didn’t?” Would I be able to forgive myself for not trying, would I regret it, and for how long? What if I didn’t go for a walk, and just stayed at home? Sure a bus’d never hit me, but would it really be worth it? Just sitting in my room, I’d be totally safe, but then I’d have to go for a shower, what if I fell? I could die. Well that’s out too. So I guess, I’d smell really bad, but at least I’m safe.
So what if I fall off a motorcycle? That would really suck, right? But, would I ever be able to forgive myself for not trying to get back something I lost, simply because it wasn’t 100% safe? Nothing we do is ever 100% safe. I cooked diner the other night, and could have cut my thumb off. Or blew up the house with the barbeque. But I didn’t!! And the food turned out great. What if I didn’t cook that meal, because I afraid to cut my thumb/finger off?? Or Blow something up?? I’d be really hungry right now, and people would make fun of me for being scared. Yes, cooking dinner isn’t obviously dangerous, it’s subtlety dangerous. We don’t think twice about it because we do it every day, and need food to live. How many people drive to work every day? 200 million? Ish? How many don’t make it home? 500…. 600… 1000. Every day. That is 0.000005% Mortality rate just driving to work. What do you think the mortality rate for walking down the street is? Or having a shower in the morning? Or cooking dinner? I’m sure someone blew up a BBQ trying to light it. And I’m sure a few people have fallen in the shower, not at 100km/h, but that is not the point I’m making. Nothing is safe. We can never make anything completely safe.
So what was the doctor’s big concern? Well as it turns out, popping a fake hip out of joint can be a very painful experience. I’ll take his word for it, it definitely doesn’t sound pleasant. And. no one wants to spend 6 hours in surgery, and months of rehab, rebuilding a person only to have him or her go out a screw it all up, I get it. I know full well it could happen. And I accept that. It will hurt more than anything I will ever feel in my life. But a few days of pain, cannot replace a lifetime of joy. “Pain goes away, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever.” Having been through all I have been through, and dealt with all I’ve dealt with, I am willing to take that risk to add a little joy to my life. Over coming all of this and getting back to being me… That is my Glory!! And I have plenty of scars, wanna see? And if it all goes awry, well… What if I didn’t?? I might get hit by a bus, or blow up a Barbeque, or fall off a bridge. Then what? I died anyway. Without really living. So what is the point? I am going to live the way I see fit. I will enjoy the time I have on this little rock, cause it’s all we get!! You only have one life, and we don’t get a do-over, or a mulligan. And you don’t get a rebate at the end of your life for being safe. So go on. Try something new, something dangerous, something crazy, maybe even something stupid. And make sure to tell me about it!! Remember it’s not “what if.” It’s “what if I didn’t?”
So what if I fall off a motorcycle? That would really suck, right? But, would I ever be able to forgive myself for not trying to get back something I lost, simply because it wasn’t 100% safe? Nothing we do is ever 100% safe. I cooked diner the other night, and could have cut my thumb off. Or blew up the house with the barbeque. But I didn’t!! And the food turned out great. What if I didn’t cook that meal, because I afraid to cut my thumb/finger off?? Or Blow something up?? I’d be really hungry right now, and people would make fun of me for being scared. Yes, cooking dinner isn’t obviously dangerous, it’s subtlety dangerous. We don’t think twice about it because we do it every day, and need food to live. How many people drive to work every day? 200 million? Ish? How many don’t make it home? 500…. 600… 1000. Every day. That is 0.000005% Mortality rate just driving to work. What do you think the mortality rate for walking down the street is? Or having a shower in the morning? Or cooking dinner? I’m sure someone blew up a BBQ trying to light it. And I’m sure a few people have fallen in the shower, not at 100km/h, but that is not the point I’m making. Nothing is safe. We can never make anything completely safe.
So what was the doctor’s big concern? Well as it turns out, popping a fake hip out of joint can be a very painful experience. I’ll take his word for it, it definitely doesn’t sound pleasant. And. no one wants to spend 6 hours in surgery, and months of rehab, rebuilding a person only to have him or her go out a screw it all up, I get it. I know full well it could happen. And I accept that. It will hurt more than anything I will ever feel in my life. But a few days of pain, cannot replace a lifetime of joy. “Pain goes away, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever.” Having been through all I have been through, and dealt with all I’ve dealt with, I am willing to take that risk to add a little joy to my life. Over coming all of this and getting back to being me… That is my Glory!! And I have plenty of scars, wanna see? And if it all goes awry, well… What if I didn’t?? I might get hit by a bus, or blow up a Barbeque, or fall off a bridge. Then what? I died anyway. Without really living. So what is the point? I am going to live the way I see fit. I will enjoy the time I have on this little rock, cause it’s all we get!! You only have one life, and we don’t get a do-over, or a mulligan. And you don’t get a rebate at the end of your life for being safe. So go on. Try something new, something dangerous, something crazy, maybe even something stupid. And make sure to tell me about it!! Remember it’s not “what if.” It’s “what if I didn’t?”
Well, a year and a half ago, I did. Below is the bike I bought and have been enjoying for the last year. Weather permitting, i will continue to enjoy it this year.
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