It’s really interesting how we shy away from some “hard” things, even though there is literally nothing at stake that could prevent us from doing them. Nothing life-threatening, no (or minimal) risk of physical or psychological damage, no social exclusion, no irreversable decisions about the future to make. Why can’t we just try/do it – what are we so afraid of?
Heh, I don't know about that.
I got into motorcycles because of how dangerous they are. When I was just learning dirt riding I specifically picked out an old barely used logging road to do so. It's 2 hours from the nearest town, about 40 miles long winding road with a sheer drop on either side.
Getting there is tiring in of itself. Every time I started it, I was already fatigued from the ride out and I just go straight in without a break. But there's very little room of error. There's no cellular service, traffic is almost non existent. I don't tell my family when I got out there or where I am exactly. If I overcook a corner, loose focus for more then a second, fail to spot where the road's been eroded out, make just one little fatigued induced mistake... that's it. There's no getting out. There's no help coming. They won't even have my body to bury.
Finding the strength to crank the throttle wide open and hold it open right until the last millisecond before disaster is hard as hell when every instinct is screaming to slow down.
But in many ways, it's easier then trying to make friends or ask a someone out on a date. If and when I do make that fatal mistake, I don't have live with the knowledge that I screwed up a relationship or have to live with the regret what may or may not have not have been. Or worse; disappointing those who's opinion has weight.
Dying is easy. Living with the consequences is hard.