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Fri 25 Mar, 2011 08:23 pm
Tuesday I had a bicycle accident, riding with the wind in excess of 20 mph I rear ended a parked car. No head protection, aside from a battered Reds baseball cap, I shattering the rear window with my forehead and nose and tore off the trunk spoiler with my forearms and already scabbed knees. By all that is right with Mr. Newton's physics that should have been it. Lilies in the garden, toes toward the sky, I should be dead.
But for some reason I'm not. Yes, I re-broke my already broken nose and had to spend Tuesday night in a bathtub to contain the pint or so of blood that I lost through my spouting proboscis but by the grace of 'the great whatever', I never lost consciousness or suffered any form of permanent injury (other than trashing a perfectly good bicycle frame).
In the past two days I've been living and reliving the incident--there I was booking in high gear, a 20+mph wind at my back when it happened, a crash, a slide, a car alarm, and glass everywhere. There I was, aware and alert and except for the mechanical carnage and the blood spouting from my nose all was happy along the Bear Creek trail. The Denver Cop and the EMT were expressed their amazement that I was 'alert' and still 'vertical'. I called friends who gave me and my twisted two wheeler a 'caged' ride to my nest.
Yes, Wednesday and Thursday were spent recovering from the accident, cleaning the blood from my face, hair, beard and clothes and treating the other accompanying injuries (all relatively minor--considering), but here I am on Friday relatively unscathed. A miracle of unknown reason and proportion.
I should have died, but I didn't. The Big Kahuna must still has some use of this old man.
That, as far as I can discern from the laws of physics and head trauma, must be the only reason I'm not in the McDonald's mausoleum right now. I have some unknown purpose, an as yet undiscovered adventure that I have to complete before I can have that final peace that is all our final destination.
So that has become my quest, my goal is to find my purpose. The reason why I live today when I know damn well I shouldn't have lived past Tuesday.
Oh! BTW from now on I'll be wearing a helmet. Does anyone know where you can get a good nose guard?.
Rap
@raprap,
Dude, no helmet? What were thinking, that you were born on Krypton? Glad you're okay. Now go by a good helmet, and tell them God sent you.
@raprap,
raprap wrote:
So that has become my quest, my goal is to find my purpose. The reason why I live today when I know damn well I shouldn't have lived past Tuesday.
Rap
A friend of ours has lupus, and has clinically died twice.
I won't bore you with her whole after death experience, but something she related has really made me look at my life differently.
She said she was totally willing to go over to "the other side" but was told that it wasn't her time, that she hadn't completed her life's purpose yet.
But....then she was told that she will not realize when she had done whatever it is that is her purpose in life.
Who knows, maybe my purpose in life is taking out the recycling bin next Tuesday.
It might remind the guy across the street it's recycling day.
I don't find that depressing, it's as good and noble a purpose as any.
BTW, I'm glad you didn't smash your skull in.
@raprap,
I'm glad you're alright, Rap. Maybe your purpose is a new career as a stunt man.
@raprap,
Holy ****!
You must have a big, strong nose to plant face first into a car and walk away! Even bigger now, I suspect.
I hope you've been to the doctor for a through once over even considering that you feel okayish.
Helmet.... $50, .....Bicycle..... $400, ..... Paying attention..... priceless.
@raprap,
I suppose I've never told you I love you. Oh, wait, don't take that as a threat. That is to say you are way up there on favorite posters and you favor us not very often.
Noses gain in valor with time..
@ossobuco,
The bad news is, you didn't because you didn't.
@ossobuco,
You did check in with a Emergency room eh? did they want to watch you for a concussion?.
Jeez man owwww!
Fuckid Dose idjureez really fuckid HURD. YA god id all backed ub wid coddod ad shid?
God a blag I yed? Jiks Lub blag I's. Cuz dey all wadda mudda you. Go vor id.
Your new path in life is to develop a rear end avoidance gizmo for bikes. Its a radar unit that compuets the difference in speeds and the distance between you ant the guy in front (and back) it then goes into protection mode.
Thats the part I havent figgured out yet.
@raprap,
Damn man, that sounds rough. You were lucky indeed.
So, what were you thinking so hard about that you lost the road?
Or was it the appearance of mayhem in those short shorts?
Glad you're ok, sorry about your bike.
I just got a deal on a Trek, but I ain't lettin you ride it
@wayne,
Had an old Univega frame laying around and the urban assault bike has already been rebuilt.
I was on my way to tutor high school math, perhaps my mind was extracting square roots.
@kuvasz,
Why? I had a somewhat similar accident. The only things that came out undamaged or even scratched were the bike and the helmet.
@raprap,
Once again, I'm glad you're ok. Years ago I got out of shape on a long downhill and almost took out a roadsign. Scared the beejesus outta me.
Reminds me to be careful, my mind wanders off more easily as I get older.
@roger,
That's a quiet but interesting post..
@ossobuco,
Actually, I do wear a helmet in traffic. Oddly, I don't ride much in traffic anymore.
@ossobuco,
My nose started out big and has become flatter with time. It tilts a little to the left, but still leaves me with enough of a bridge to make a good rest for my eyeglasses.
@raprap,
Cool, a splat nose, the best kind.
Be well.
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