WANTED: Cracked, Crashed, Smashed Helmets..

[DeniseGoldberg]

I wish I could tell you my last major accident but I can't. I have no memory of the day of the accident or the week or so in the hospital. Just flashes of what I think happened like a fleeting memory like a dream when you wake up.
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The only thing I want the kids to learn is that its called an accident for a reason. We don't plan on it. We don't think about such things. And boom out of no where it happens. It doesn't matter if you are beginner going slow or experienced rider going slow or fast. Accidents don't care who you are, it happens to ALL of us. It happens when you are not thinking about it.
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PS it makes me really angry when people young and old don't wear a helmet!!
It save my life several times over and at least 6 of my friends.

Shawn -
You are so right about this. I don't know what happened to me either, and I've accepted that I will never know the cause of my accident.

Funny though, I had a discussion with someone I knew in passing (not a friend, just someone I had met), and she was sure that I should sue the town that the road was in. And I just can't accept that kind of attitude. I believe my wheel got caught by something in the road - but that wasn't a justification for suing or a reason to blame someone else. Just as you said, it was an accident. No blame to be laid - I'm just thankful that my helmet allowed me to continue to live a full life.

Maybe scaring them is what they need? But then again I don't want them having nightmares and mom and dad coming after me! But I will use the stories and some of the pics for sure!!

Denise -
Maybe scaring mom & dad would be a good thing though - just enough that they don't allow their kids to head out without their helmets.

I saw a child in my neighborhood riding without a helmet. Her dad was outside, so I stopped to talk with him - to recommend that she wear a helmet. He said she didn't like it and he thought if he forced the issue that she would stop riding her bike. My response to him was that it would be better for her to stop riding than to die or to be severely injured by a helmet-less head hitting the ground. I also talked to his daughter (in his presence). I pointed out the still-red spots on my face, bruises that I think will never go away - thinking that maybe that would make an impression on the child. Nope. (Of course the bruises that live on my face to this day happened when I was wearing my helmet - but I figured that she wouldn't realize that. Anything to attempt to convince her that a helmet is a good thing.)

Unfortunately our conversation did nothing to change the child's behavior.

--- Denise