Thinking With The Head For A Change.
On my way back from an event I attended last week with a friend, a young man on a bicycle was trying to pull off some bicycle stunts which I think is interesting to see every now and then. However, a few metres behind this young man was a speeding vehicle. His giggles,extreme excitement and repeated action of looking behind were signs that he knew very well about the vehicle behind him. I was not certain as to what he was trying to prove because the whole scenario seemed like a very dangerous one.
“He's riding like he has nine lives,” my friend said as she watched, amused. “He probably does” was my inaudible response.
I never went back to try learning how to ride a bicycle after my initial encounter that led to a superficial injury. This doesn't stop me from admiring those who can. Asides from the fact that a bicycle is a means of transportation, cycling has numerous health benefits when done right.
This brings me to the topic of health negligence. I try to tell people to take good care of their health and vehemently avoid being admitted into a hospital with all their might. This may sound a bit extreme judging from the fact that doctors and nurses are out there to save lives and care for the sick.
Nevertheless, many people wouldn't have to be admitted in the hospital if they just did the extra work to optimise their health. I get quite melancholic when I see people acting reckless with their lives while there are a thousand and one people in hospitals who wish they could just take a hike and breathe in natural air like a regular human being.
Permit me to briefly digress
One particular health practice that many people overlook is hydration. Most of the medical practitioners I know sing “ensure you hydrate properly” like a song but then, 70% of the time, people ignore this. I used to do the same.
I wasn't taking adequate fluids and because of this, I had a recurrent and excruciating headache. I thought it was just stress and so I rested for days on end but it had no effect. During one random discussions with a doctor, I mentioned my headaches and the first thing he asked was “how often do you drink water?” At the time, I didn't understand how not drinking enough water could be so detrimental but after about three days of taking in adequate water, the headache subsided.
Simple actions like exercising frequently to laughing more often have interesting benefits to our health and general wellbeing. We live in a fast moving world and lying on a bed for weeks or months because of an illness wouldn't seem right when such an illness could be prevented with something as simple as a glass of water.
Back to the bicycle stuntsman
After displaying his stunts for a few more seconds, he briskly diverted from the road, giving way to the speeding car which wasn't going any slower.
My main question now is why take such risks? A number of things could have gone wrong in such a situation leading to an injured human, a dented vehicle and ultimately more unforseen bills to be paid.
As humans, we are sometimes carried away by the spur of the moment, causing us to act irrationally but in such moments, it is very important to think with our heads for at least a second. Think about what you're doing and the possible repercussions. If the repercussions seem favourable, then go for it but if it could cause you an arm and a leg–literally or metaphorically–then avoid it.
It's a good thing that the cyclist was able to move out of the road when he did because he had probably trained all his life to perform such risky stunts but then again, we can never be too sure of the outcome of things. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
All images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device except States otherwise
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