Some of you have probably seen this video that bikehikebabe sent. It reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon — they’re sitting on a toboggan at the top of a steep hill.
Calvin says,
Let’s just sit here a moment …
And savor the impending terror.
Here we are, perched at the peak of Mount Maim!
Why? Because I like to experience life to the fullest! I say you don’t fully appreciate life until you risk losing it!I like to stare death straight in the eye and make him blink! If your adrenalin isn’t pumping, you’re not really living!
Then he turns to Hobbes and says,
Right?
Hobbes answers,
Actually I think real living is sitting by a fire, slurping marshmallows from the bottom of a mug of hot cocoa.
They sit there and think for a minute, then the final panel shows them sitting in front of a fire slurping the marshmallows at the bottom of their cups.
Do you know anyone who thinks a certain amount of risk adds zest to life? I’ve never been interested in physical risk, but I’ve known several people who were. They bungee jumped, climbed mountains, did dangerous white water rafting, etc. Not me. I’d rather play with my toys. What about you?
December 23, 2013
Nope — little or no physical risk for me. Two broken bones in 60+ years, an arm from falling out of a tree and a toe from kicking an immovable object, and all my joints in good working order with no accumulated history of rips and tears. I may have missed out on some thrills, but I’m still here relatively pain-free — most of the time.
I think I may have broken a toe once — just banged it on some furniture in our apartment. There’s good reason I don’t do physically risky things!
I much prefer no risk.
I suspect those people of being out of touch. I once asked a boxer why he did stuff that hurt, his reply: At least you know you’re alive. I think there are more pleasant way to know you’re alive.
P.S. that which doesn’t kill us can leave us maimed.
We’re all wired differently. Some people thrive on excitement and danger. Again, not me!
I’m not an extreme sports/other risk taker…
But then again I can go for a wonderful trip with my wonky ankles, whenever the “blip” is going to come on any day of the week.
One of my family members wanted to know if I took a certain potion that helps bones in old age and I said “no” her face showed the astonishment. I then pointed out that all my full-length horizontals to the ground AND not one thing ever broken!
Skin broken, ligaments strained but nope not a break in sight…
However, up until I got a bit more sensible, I dreamed of doing lots of extreme things that would mean I could go fast with another aid – bike, skateboard, even a little scooter…
I never liked going fast, even as a kid. My sister and I had scooters, and I was always slowing mine down. She liked to speed and once flew over the front of the scooter and almost fractured her skull.
Sure, in my very misguided youth, drag racing on motorcycles and facing a cricket ball without the kind of modern protective gear that players wear, high board diving were all considered to be risky endeavours. I would not indulge in any of them now and that idea of Hobbes would appeal more.
It sounds as if you were a lot more reckless than I was. Glad you made it in one piece!
My mother was doing a back-flip & hit the diving board. (I can’t imagine MY mother doing that.) As a result nobody in our family dives. (My sister did a race where no one was allowed to dive, because she couldn’t. She won the race which caused resentment.)
I couldn’t figure out why none of us dives, ’til I read Mother’s diary which mentioned the back-flip failure. I don’t remember ever being told not to dive.
I take risks though. Was hit by a car on my bicycle. I felt invincible, like Superwoman at the time.
Now diving is a different story. I haven’t in several years, but I was pretty good at just a straight dive, even from the high board. Didn’t even try the riskier dives though. Last time I dove was after age 55 from a high rock platform — probably about 15 feet — at a local lake, just me and some teenagers… over and over.
I once went swimming in Lake Houston and was hauled back to shore in a police boat. They apparently thought I was too far out.
I had to do a few dives when I took swimming in college, but they weren’t done willingly. I’m impressed, Mike! And I love the story of the police boat bringing you back when you were swimming.
Also, BHB, that’s interesting that your family learned they shouldn’t dive, even though they didn’t know the reason.