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So, when I was about 20 21 years old, I drove into a corner a little too hot and ended up in a rollover. My head hit the roof or the roof hit my head. I'm not sure, but I walked away from it with no injuries...or did I?
When I was about 21 or 22, I went into a corner a little too hot on my snowmobile and over compensated and hit a small clump of trees. Drove the snowmobile back to town. Walked away with no injuries...or did I?
In my early 30's, a "friend" kept egging me on and I took his bait. No alcohol involved. His snowmobile had 71 horsepower, mine had over 110. His wife was on his sled and my wife at the time was on with me. After crossing a rural road without touching it and 85 miles per hour across an open field, we ended up in a creek bottom. The frame of the snowmobile was bent between the handlebars and engine, but we pulled it out of the creek bottom and I drove it 10 miles back to town. My hips hit the handlebars so hard, they were bent forward. NO intimacy for a week or so, my choice! No lasting injuries...or?
When I was 7 years old, Dad worked at a very small ski area and I got free lift tickets, so I was there everyday after school for two Winters. That ski area eventually closed, but I went skiing again at 14 and again when I was 18. By then, I was pretty adventurous and "indestructible". I was doing jumps and risky stuff. When I was 38, my wife filed for divorce. After a few years of trying to get the family downhill skiing, I just decided to do it. I took my girls (10 and 6, I think) and went. I could qualify to teach skiing lessons. Took my oldest about an hour and youngest about 2 hours to teach.
Well anyway, a couple years later, the last day of the season, it was the local ski area's "Spring Fling". 57 degrees, water running down the slopes in a few places. Young guys with no shirts on, young gals in just tank tops. Saw about 20 mosquitoes. Coming down the slope, my oldest daughter right beside me, I got into what they call "the Crud". Thawed, refrozen surface with slush on top. No matter how hard I tried to carve a turn, I just slid...into a tree. Only about an inch or two in diameter, but it stopped me right NOW!!! Probably going 20 mph when my skis hit, but my legs absorbed a lot of the kinetic energy involved.
I got up, put the one ski that came off back on and skied down the hill to where my oldest daughter was waiting. She looked at me and said, "Dad, are you ok? Where are your sunglasses?" Since I was still physically able, I went right back up that chairlift and got my cheap sunglasses. I had to do it. Last day of the season. I would have had all year to think about it and my confidence going into the next year would have been destroyed.
I went to work the next day, moving extremely slowly and I think it was about July before I didn't hurt anymore. I think all my guts kept moving when my feet came to a sudden stop. My diaphragm muscle ached for months. But, other than that, I walked away with no lasting injuries...or did I?
Any of these events, along with a neurological health issue 6 years ago, which I still think could be MS, enlarged prostate, lots of stress!, low B12, history of bedwetting when I was younger...could be behind this. I guess I'll never really know. I've been checked for prostate and bladder cancer a couple times, negative, so I manage this.
So, I know it's a long read, @Snow was too, but I thank you for your insight.
I know this. As I get older, I've had "adventures" and adventures happen when things go wrong, but the "stupidness" starts to fade as you get older.
But I know, looking back on my life, I LIVED it!
And, all things considered, especially since I'm pretty physically able yet, I feel fortunate.
When I was about 21 or 22, I went into a corner a little too hot on my snowmobile and over compensated and hit a small clump of trees. Drove the snowmobile back to town. Walked away with no injuries...or did I?
In my early 30's, a "friend" kept egging me on and I took his bait. No alcohol involved. His snowmobile had 71 horsepower, mine had over 110. His wife was on his sled and my wife at the time was on with me. After crossing a rural road without touching it and 85 miles per hour across an open field, we ended up in a creek bottom. The frame of the snowmobile was bent between the handlebars and engine, but we pulled it out of the creek bottom and I drove it 10 miles back to town. My hips hit the handlebars so hard, they were bent forward. NO intimacy for a week or so, my choice! No lasting injuries...or?
When I was 7 years old, Dad worked at a very small ski area and I got free lift tickets, so I was there everyday after school for two Winters. That ski area eventually closed, but I went skiing again at 14 and again when I was 18. By then, I was pretty adventurous and "indestructible". I was doing jumps and risky stuff. When I was 38, my wife filed for divorce. After a few years of trying to get the family downhill skiing, I just decided to do it. I took my girls (10 and 6, I think) and went. I could qualify to teach skiing lessons. Took my oldest about an hour and youngest about 2 hours to teach.
Well anyway, a couple years later, the last day of the season, it was the local ski area's "Spring Fling". 57 degrees, water running down the slopes in a few places. Young guys with no shirts on, young gals in just tank tops. Saw about 20 mosquitoes. Coming down the slope, my oldest daughter right beside me, I got into what they call "the Crud". Thawed, refrozen surface with slush on top. No matter how hard I tried to carve a turn, I just slid...into a tree. Only about an inch or two in diameter, but it stopped me right NOW!!! Probably going 20 mph when my skis hit, but my legs absorbed a lot of the kinetic energy involved.
I got up, put the one ski that came off back on and skied down the hill to where my oldest daughter was waiting. She looked at me and said, "Dad, are you ok? Where are your sunglasses?" Since I was still physically able, I went right back up that chairlift and got my cheap sunglasses. I had to do it. Last day of the season. I would have had all year to think about it and my confidence going into the next year would have been destroyed.
I went to work the next day, moving extremely slowly and I think it was about July before I didn't hurt anymore. I think all my guts kept moving when my feet came to a sudden stop. My diaphragm muscle ached for months. But, other than that, I walked away with no lasting injuries...or did I?
Any of these events, along with a neurological health issue 6 years ago, which I still think could be MS, enlarged prostate, lots of stress!, low B12, history of bedwetting when I was younger...could be behind this. I guess I'll never really know. I've been checked for prostate and bladder cancer a couple times, negative, so I manage this.
So, I know it's a long read, @Snow was too, but I thank you for your insight.
I know this. As I get older, I've had "adventures" and adventures happen when things go wrong, but the "stupidness" starts to fade as you get older.
But I know, looking back on my life, I LIVED it!
And, all things considered, especially since I'm pretty physically able yet, I feel fortunate.
