Tell me how he died. I will tell you how he lived. (The Last Samurai)
https://youtu.be/k7fJtk_Rwco?si=3ZKukdcciiDYyePX
The story of these bright-eyed, amazing human beings being targeted and mowed down by a bunch of angry, evil people after having a singularly fantastic experience with the locals of Tajikistan underscores just how much there is to gain and lose when anyone adds any amount of adventure to their lives.
As I’ve been experiencing a bit of “bearanoia” I feel the same. The opportunity to be around and witness these amazing creatures in the wild is easily worth the risk that they might smell me in my tent and look for my food elsewhere.
But I also understand that a lot of people have a lot more to do with their lives that they want to accomplish and the risks of any adventure at that time in their lives just isn’t worth it. My wife Doris comes to mind. She has faced off against life many times and considers herself a survivor and no one would ever doubt why. She has zero desire to put any of her plans and goals at risk for such adventures—particularly because she doesn’t value the experiences nearly as much as I do.
Just biking on local gravel roads instead of on an indoor trainer already comes with a bit of adventurous risk and reward, which reminds me that there are levels of adventure. Racing the Tour Divide ups the risk and reward over simply GDMBR touring in that same area. Biking the GDMBR instead of trails in Pisgah or Moab that are bear free is another way.
So what level do I want?
Honestly, I just want to be healthy, happy, safe, and away from humans and traffic. I have no desire for any adventure beyond that. I want to be able to sleep in my sleeping bag so that I can continue to physically push myself the next day without fearing of dying. That’s all. Perhaps after doing that for a while I will want more. After all, that’s what got me thinking I could live on my bike and work on the road. I completed a century or two on the weekend and all of a sudden I just want to live on my bike. I’m always pushing the boundaries and I can reliably predict that I will probably die because of it one day. I’m okay with that. But I’m absolutely not willing to be snuffed out by an idiot driver, angry religious fanatic, or an angry mama bear.