The road that almost did me in

“I’m dead”. I distinctly remember this to be my last thought at time of impact yesterday. I had no time to react. None. The car came around the corner as I was riding my bike downhill at about 25 miles an hour. The driver later said she drove about 20-25 mph as well. Neither one of us had time to react or break. So we concluded I went in full frontal collision at combined speed of about 40 mph. The visual image of that car hurling toward me is burned in my brain. I’m dead. So quickly life can change or seize to be in a mere instant with 0 advance notice.

I know this route well. I try to ride about 20 miles a day after finishing my write-up for clients. There are a lot of less traveled country roads around here and this particular route is just gorgeous to ride. No traffic, beautiful setting, hilly, scenic, just a great work-out, but tricky roads as they are very narrow. And this stretch is downhill and I keep my speed limited at around 25mph there, but apparently that was still way too fast.

To get a car coming around this corner at precisely the moment that I was riding downhill there takes serious skill. I bet if two people tried to intersect at exactly that spot they couldn’t do it if they tried all day. But we did.

I do not remember the precise mechanics of the accident. The evidence and the driver lead the police to conclude the following: I hit the car full frontal (the hood is dented, color marks of my clothing were on top of the hood), my body flew over the top right side of the car and I landed on the pavement behind while knocking the back of my head on it (I was not wearing a helmet and was properly scolded by everyone afterwards) and then rolled toward the side of road.

I was stunned and my body was experiencing shock. Pain everywhere. I was conscious and trying to ascertain what was broken. Back, arms, legs, ankles, shins, wrists, head? Nothing. That can’t be right I thought. The driver, Elise, had immediately called for an ambulance. They looked at my busted bike, my bleeding legs and head, and gave me a thorough check-up. Their concluding questions:

1. Why are you even alive?

2. Why haven’t you even broken a single bone in your body?

I’m still stunned about this reality. I thought I was done. I have no idea how I survived this or how I’m not more seriously injured. Heck, I’m bruised all over, right ankle, stretched ligament, left elbow , back of my head is all swollen, my shins are swollen scrapped and tender and I feel like I got hit by a car. Oh right.

Yet the most predominant feeling I’m experiencing is a profound sense of gratefulness.

Whether I got incredibly lucky or a guardian angel was looking over me no idea. But I have people in my life that need me and are close to me. I can’t put myself in those situations any longer. 1,100 skydives, not a single scratch. Thousands of miles on motorcycles not a single ding. I even survived a couple of angry women in my time. Yet it was a bike ride that almost became my Michael Schumacher moment.

The ambulance crew wanted to take me to the hospital to get my head checked out. I opted to get home and the ambulance crew kindly took me and the remnants of my bike and dropped me off at home.

I survived a frontal collision with a car. Then I got hit by Janet Yellen’s “I see no inflation” bus. Fortunately for me I saw that one coming as one of the scenarios I had outlined for clients.

All joking aside. Life is fragile. Don’t take anything for granted. And while people get emotional with each other over varying opinions about trading, economics, politics etc. that all seems like a wasteful investment of time. Time is limited. Make the most of it and manage your risk in trading as in life.

For now I lick my wounds and miss the rides. Could have been much, much worse. I was very lucky.

Greetings from a very sore Northy.