A forgotten me
I've been mt. biking and dirt biking a lot lately. I used to love Mt. Biking in my early teen years, and continued to do it through my adult life but never with the fervor I gave it during my teen years. I also used to Dirt Bike a lot. Around when I was 20 I gave up both sports, terming them to dangerous to be worth the risk. As I start riding again that residual fear is just below the surface. And it isn't with out reason, as I do have scars all over me and newly deformed shoulder to back up the argument that these sports are indeed dangerous, but I also find myself rationalizing that most things in life are dangerous. Then I ask myself do I really want to live in fear and therefore not do things that I might enjoy? Easily I found the answer to be no. Part of being alive is doing that which we fear but minimizing risk in the process of doing it. I think this is the key element that separates the 27 year old me, from the teenage me.
As a teen it was never about minimizing risk, risk was almost the goal. The more dangerous, the more on the edge, the more elusive the experience, and the prouder the moment was. It was steeped with an egocentric need for attention. I think that as I grew up and matured I made a false generalization that it was these sports that were the problem. That the danger level of these activites precluded any benefits that were to be had. But at that time the benefits were far from ideal. It was an ego booster. Little education or physical challenge were taken from it that lead to any type of evolving as a human being.
Now I find myself trangressing, in a way. And in doing so challenging the beliefs that these sports hold nothing for me in the way of learning/evolving. In an ironic twist, I also find myself working for a professional sports production company, once again brining into question whether sports actually have something to contribute to the growth of an individual. I know the easy answer to this.
Sports provide the opportunity for people to grow if they are open to it. But I've been a bit cynical the past few years. I've basically assumed that people are generally lazy, and when given the choice between growth and "typical" path people are more likely to choose the more typical route. This may still be true, but at least I need to be open to the fact that this cannot apply to all people. That there are exceptions to the rule. And I am looking forward to meeting them. I also look forward to this new found trust in myself that I will not push my own boundaries for the sake of pride, and recognition. That for me this experience will be an intrinsic journey that allows for internal contemplation and growth, with minimal injury. I think it would be ignorant to say no injury because any sport brings with it an element of physical and mental stress, if it didn't who would do it?
As a teen it was never about minimizing risk, risk was almost the goal. The more dangerous, the more on the edge, the more elusive the experience, and the prouder the moment was. It was steeped with an egocentric need for attention. I think that as I grew up and matured I made a false generalization that it was these sports that were the problem. That the danger level of these activites precluded any benefits that were to be had. But at that time the benefits were far from ideal. It was an ego booster. Little education or physical challenge were taken from it that lead to any type of evolving as a human being.
Now I find myself trangressing, in a way. And in doing so challenging the beliefs that these sports hold nothing for me in the way of learning/evolving. In an ironic twist, I also find myself working for a professional sports production company, once again brining into question whether sports actually have something to contribute to the growth of an individual. I know the easy answer to this.
Sports provide the opportunity for people to grow if they are open to it. But I've been a bit cynical the past few years. I've basically assumed that people are generally lazy, and when given the choice between growth and "typical" path people are more likely to choose the more typical route. This may still be true, but at least I need to be open to the fact that this cannot apply to all people. That there are exceptions to the rule. And I am looking forward to meeting them. I also look forward to this new found trust in myself that I will not push my own boundaries for the sake of pride, and recognition. That for me this experience will be an intrinsic journey that allows for internal contemplation and growth, with minimal injury. I think it would be ignorant to say no injury because any sport brings with it an element of physical and mental stress, if it didn't who would do it?
posted by fred @ Monday, July 24, 2006
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