Better Safe Than Sorry, Better Sorry Than A Sissy

(Contributed by Mitch Greene)

I’ve noticed that there are people in this world that hate risk for no reason, and there are also people who treat risk like it’s their best friend. Risk is good! You heard it here! It encourages change, a dynamic lifestyle and challenge. However, there may be challenges in chasing risk. Think of it like potassium. A little bit and you won’t cramp up on your run. Too much and you’re a dead jogger.

A long time ago my best friend and I had an excellent idea: take our bike ramp and put it at the bottom of the biggest hill we could find. I brought my bike about halfway up the hill and came cruising down, not peddling since the hill was so steep. I hit the ramp, got a fair bit of air, traveled maybe 8 feet and landed without a hitch. Great! Once my best friend saw that there was “no danger whatsoever,” he sprinted to the very top of the hill. He peddled his heart out, coming down the hill at top speed. He hit the ramp and, boy, did he fly. In midair, his face changed from an excited face to an “oops” face - as he rotated forward. He went about 15 feet before his front tire hit the ground, and he was thrown over the handlebars another 6 feet. He was cut up and sprained his wrist, but nobody went to the ER.

How about another story?

My family went to a river where there was a big boulder beside the water, allowing us to cliff jump maybe 20 feet down into the water. My father, older sister and I were fast to get up there and jump. However, my other sister, Madi, doesn’t like heights and tends to be an overthinker. She stood at the top of the small cliff, not jumping for hours. Several times she came close but just wouldn’t do it. Eventually, it was nearing time to leave, and we all decided to encourage her, which was not helpful. We counted down from ten over and over until she stepped forward to jump and slipped, falling to the side about 8 feet down. This led to a bad bruise and more fear.

Throwing out caution, reason, common sense, and thought entirely led to my best friend hurting himself, while hesitating to the point of gathering moss still led to my sister also hurting herself. Risk is good! In moderation. Keep life fresh. Change things, mix it up and take a risk. Just make sure to cool your flaming jets for balance’s sake.