Often, I have to explain to friends and acquaintances about Tony’s bike accident. Almost 100% of each telling results in the listener telling about their OWN accident or the biking accident of a relative or a friend.
What I have learned is that EVERYONE has had a biking accident—or so it seems after another retelling. Even the dentist on my latest visit. It was the day when we had yet to learn whether Tony would need a surgery, so I opted out of one of the two procedures because I needed as little trauma as possible.
I explained the situation to the dentist. He responded, "Oh, last May I had a bike accident. I broke seven ribs and punctured a lung. I had to go to work on the Monday after the incident. It was the most painful workday of my life."
He was mountain biking and had been jumping gaps.
Just today while walking the hospital corridor, I ran into a fellow volunteer who asked why I was by myself. After telling him about Tony's accident, he proceeded to tell me about his.
It was the twentieth bike accident report I'd received in the last month.
I had one response.
"You need to start a knitting club."
For old injured bikers.
Not only will you be safe, but you will have a place to share your war stories and compare your battle scars.
Imagine the empathy.
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