Its been a rough couple of weeks. I try and keep this blog MC-Lite. Don't want to harsh anyone's mellow. But yeah its been a hard couple of weeks. Some of you may or may not know that my Mom was the first person to attend to the poor woman who was killed by an MBTA bus on Huntington Ave. I honestly am happy my mom was there to be there for her and her friend. But talking with my mom after and the look in her eyes was rough. Coupled with the obvious outrage that why its still ok for a motorist to kill a cyclist and it not be a crime makes my brain want to explode. But I try and let it go. Then the stories just pile on, and on and its hard to stay positive.
We feel bulletproof as cyclists. I do. We revere road rash. We honor the Gnar. In my twenties I was typically pretty fatalistic. One of my good friends wrote a piece for me once called "Death comes ripping" It was about all the games we play about how we can cheat death on a bike or otherwise. If we wear a helmet we won't die. If we stop at a stop sign we won't die. If we follow the rules of the road...well you get the idea. 99% of us are just cyclists. We love the pure joy the bike gives us. But the bike giveth and it taketh away. And sometimes its just a freak accident. I feel so bad for the women who was killed and I feel so bad for Mat. Mats freak accident sort of hit me harder than all the bad news I have heard in the last couple of weeks. Not sure if it just the tipping point or his story hits so close to home. He is a single speeder. He crashed racing dirt bikes. We all have had crashes like that but we get up and walk away.
Sorry if this is too heavy. I know we always say "be safe" I know that 90% of us are. Even when we are safe shit happens. I love the bike. Always have. Nothing can change it. Help Mat out if you can. We have an amazing tribe. Any time one of these things happens I am blown away by the support the riders and the families receive. I know I will ride with a lighter heart again but right now it just feels heavy.
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