At Least I Have my Memories

A Facebook conversation with my cousin began when he viewed a photo of me, pick in the air and an exuberant smile plastered on my face, at the top of an ice climb this last winter. Icicles dangled all around me. He began by commenting, "Gosh, I'd be nervous of how sharp each of those icicles are..." and then, noting my safety precautions followed up with, "At least you have a helmet on...but those suckers could easily go right through your jacket/pants/etc."

I thought about it for a split second. Yes... it is true that icicles have been known to fall and kill people. I'd call it a freak accident, but the chance is there. But I was quickly lead to another thought, which I wrote in reply to him:

...And a rock could fall loose when I climb and an avalanche could be triggered when I ski, and a wave could take me under when I kayak and my brakes could fail when I mountain bike and a bear could eat me when I camp and I could lose my footing over a cliff when I hike... or I could die of a heart attack eating Cheetos and Twinkies on the couch. ;)

If it is my time to go, I'd rather die doing what I love with people I care about and enjoying life than in in "safety" with a mind full of memories fed to me from a tv on a shelf, lying on a couch full of crumbs. One makes you happy, healthy and vibrant. The other makes you fat, lazy and dull-minded. I'll take my chances with the icicles any day.

Go conquer.