By James Durand
I got my vaccination last week and many people told me I would feel a bit off. One friend said I would feel all my old injuries for a few days.
It wasn’t that bad, but I was reminded of a few tweaks in my body from the past.
It got me thinking of how badly I’ve treated myself over the years and had me wondering how I would do it differently if I had another run at it. What parts do I regret?
My kids and I counted injuries on the weekend and it turns out I’ve had torn ligaments, sprains, damaged cartilage, so many stitches we can’t count, smashed teeth, concussions, and over 35 broken bones.
It’s a long list of stupidity that has left me a bit more sore than the average 50-year-old human.
Considering all of these injuries were due to me trying new things, taking chances, or just being too intense in whatever sport I was enjoying at the time, there is no-one to blame but me.
You’d think there would be a ton of regret every time my body aches, but most of these aches bring back memories, some bad ones, but mostly great ones.
It’s not the regret of injury that jumps to mind, but the attempts at success.
Whether I was chasing the win at a DH race in Quebec, climbing a higher rock wall in Mexico, or developing a building in Campbell River, they all had a huge risk attached, but the reward for success was also huge. I sit here feeling aches and pains from years and years of trying.
If I were more sensible I might regret my past, but instead I think about all my successes and how none of them would exist with taking some risk.
There have been many successes and definitely a few big failures, but regret? … Nope.
Successes are wins, failures are great lessons.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’...