On being taken down

After last week's bike crash my first reaction was rage. It happened again

In the blink of an eye the world changed. I have known this before. The list of sudden unexpected accidents affecting my life include being hit by a train in 1977, my first wife losing her life in a car crash in 1991 and another bike crash in 2004. That 2004 bike crash left my right shoulder permanently dislocated and left me in chronic pain for the rest of my life.

Vulnerability is a characteristic of life. It's part of life. I remember last Thursday evening laying in the road and screaming, "how could this happen?"

Of course I already knew the answer. It can happen anytime. In the next moment, it can happen. To anyone, it can happen.

I went down, fast

Last Whine & Dine Ride. Photo by: Clyde Butt

One week ago tomorrow I was in a serious bicycle crash. I was accidentally struck from behind by another cyclist. My bike GPS computer recorded my speed as 23.6 mph when I was jettisoned off my bike and onto the pavement, landing on my right hip. This came from a blind side. I never saw it coming.

It took several days to determine the extent of my injuries. I have four fractures. My pelvis is fractured in two places, my left wrist is broken as is one of my ribs on the right side. It has been the most pain I have ever had in my life.

What hurt the most is, it caused me to miss my brother-in-law's memorial last Saturday. My sister has cancer and I really wanted to be there for her with my family. But, what's done is done. Now, I am working on getting back up, slowly.