Make the Decision Right

An amusing story that has made it's rounds on the internet claims that motorcyclists and fighter pilots make roughly the same number of decisions every second. Unlike accountants and file clerks (for the most part), a high-speed and rather messy death awaits the indecisive jet pilot or motorcyclist.

Clearly there isn't room to make a wrong decision. Instead, one has to make his choice, and make damn sure that decision becomes the right one. A rider can not afford to say "oops" and plunge towards the result of his decision. In the case of a poor decision, action must be taken to make sure that choice does not end one's riding career.

Case example: a rather intelligent and handsome operator of a motorized vehicle is approaching a stoplight. Suddenly, a significantly less intelligent motorist decides that the laws of physics no longer apply, and turns left in front of our hero. After calmly yelling "oh shit!" our favorite motorist applies maximum braking force. It rapidly becomes apparent, however, that maximum braking will only reduce the force of the impending vehicular impact.

At this point, a lesser mind will accept it's fate and make quite an impression on the dim-witted motorist. The superior mind of our protagonist will not go gently into that good t-bone, thankfully. Instead, this awe-inspiring specimen looks for an alternate escape, releases the brakes and swerves around the gasping, slothful interloper like a ninja dodging a steamroller and rides on unscathed.

If there's one thing that riding teaches a person, it's to never accept fate until firefighters are shovelling your remnants off the street. You must keep taking action until your problem is resolved (or until my brother's coroner friend is telling stories about you).

I have to admit that I have been guilty in the past of staying in an unpleasant rut because it's more comfortable to stay than to break free and pursue what I really want. Sure, I made the decision to get into that rut, but I can't accept that any longer if it doesn't take me where I want to be.

We live in a world full of people deluded into thinking that mediocrity is ok, even as it eats away at their souls. It's crazy because all anyone needs to do, really, is decide to stop accepting and making excuses for their fate, and start really living. Leave mediocrity to the fools who need it, go out and become a tremendous success, or an utter failure, or anything - but don't waste your life tolerating the unacceptable without protest and action.