Riding a motorcycle, I'm told, is the best thing next to flying with your own wings.
That's because of the wind in your face, the sun on your back, and a lot of horses between your knees, and the feeling of freedom that goes with riding a big bike.
Sadly, I've lost several friends who should never have taken early check-out. They were riding bikes, and they weren't wearing helmets.
I can understand not wanting to wear a helmet. Frankly, I kinda like the idea of far, far less government intrusion into our lives, so I'm uncomfortable with a mandatory helmet law. And if I had the huevos rancheros (which, ironically, is the name of a dish made with eggs) to risk my life for that feeling of flying, I know I'd enjoy it far more without a helmet.
But I'd probably wear a helmet, because I'm a belt-and-suspenders, bullet-proof vest, seat belt, and stay indoors at home anyway kinda guy! Actually, if I had a bike, it would probably sit in my living room, and I'd start it every now and then to listen to the patented throaty roar, and then shut it down and polish the polish on the polish.
But a bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts have staged a helmet-protest ride for years, and this time a rider was thrown, hit his helmet-free head on the pavement, and died. Doctors indicated a belief that he would have lived had he been wearing a helmet.
Now, I don't much care what other people want to do for fun.
And I'm glad the rider died without extended suffering, because there's too much suffering in the world.
I expect that there will be many more fatalities on bikes over the next few years; some people ride bikes, not because they're fun, but because of fuel economy.
And if they're not riding for fun, then I'd much rather see them wearing a helmet!
Because I don't like losing friends to early check-out!
p.s. you may wonder what a discussion of motorcycle helmets is doing in a health and longevity blog. But if you give it some thought, you'll remember that accidental death is one of the top ten ways to go to heaven ahead of schedule. And that makes accidents, and the prevention of death from accidents, fair game.
Right?
And I know I've promised it previously, but soon I'll talk about bug-out bags, because analysts believe that the upcoming scheduled Zombie Apocalypse may make fatality statistics from auto accidents look trivial! So if you want to survive that Zombie Apocalypse, stay tuned!
p.p.s. I had lunch with a good and beautiful friend recently; she had gotten rid of the bike and the leather because of a small ooopsie that had resulted in a leg shattered into a thousand pieces or so. She said that it was relatively painful, and gave rise to a moment of clarity: she said she'd prefer a longer life, and less exciting.
Of course, if Cu Chulainn had made that decision, where would world literature be today?
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