Domincan Joe,
Thanks for posting this link. i just read through it, i found the article by the Dominican--who lives abroad--interesting, but perplexing at the same time. nevertheless, i enjoyed it. I thought Lisa's rant was just downright crazy. Oh well, i still liked it. I found the Scottish girl--on her honeymoon-story interesting as well--she broke her ankle in 3 places and then apparently broke her leg--which required pins. All interesting stories, all fascinating testimonials, but like everything in life, there is another side to life.
1. Every time someone comes to Norway to visit me, or i meet someone in a cafe--and they tell me they love mountain biking--i immediately offer to take them down-hilliing up at Frogner/Holmekollen--the hills that surround Oslo. I have a couple of race-ready down hill mountain bikes and really enjoy taking people on tours through the forests and mountains surrounding Oslo.
For every 20 people i take on a tour, one person inevitably falls and hurts themselves. there are lots of tree roots and slippery rocks in places. Some of these people break bones, others just receive scratches. But i never deviate or discourage people from trying it. Yes, it can be dangerous, but 99% of the time, it's a benign, scenic ride. Am i to use the 10% of people who fall and hurt themselves as a Litmus test of whether or not to take people with me?
Look, some people fall down walking up steps to their house; a few of these people will break their ribs in climbing steps--my mother manages to do it. Some people are simply uncoordinated and fall down trying to walk and chew gum at the same time.
Some people fall down and scratch and hurt themselves when having sex, but they just chalk it up to extreme sport. Ok, i'm just kidding here...only i manage to do this during sex. But my point here, however, is that accidents happen everyday, in every sport whether its extreme or benign--including walking though the park or crossing the street. yes, i understand, some people will say that these are necessary activities--and i agree--but they don't preclude you to having a safe journey. Falling down is part of life. sometimes people die from simply falling off a ladder...it happens somewhere every single day.
Life should be about getting out of the house, away from the TV, and enjoy your surroundings. There's a lot of benign, fun activities out there to do and try, and no matter how benign, some people manage to hurt themselves ice-skating, jogging, mountain biking, walking, climbing stairs, and having sex...with themselves. I managed to do it. I still have the scars. Does it discourage me from trying again. No, i just get back up on the bike and try it over and over. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...or it chaffs your skin--which ever comes first.
Frank
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