what the hell am i doing here???

have you ever had an opportunity present itself and think, "that would be so cool?" Or "that would be so much fun?" So you get involved and then ask yourself, "what the hell am i doing here??" i can't count the number of times i've done that...

for example, one time at work i had the chance to work on a team consisting of really smart, well respected developers. who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to work on a team like that? shortly after joining the team, listening to every one's input during a meeting, the reality of the challenges i would face, both in proving my capabilities and maintaining the high standards of the team, i think, "what the hell am i doing here?"

another time, after taking the msf basic rider course, i thought it would be really cool to become an instructor. i've always enjoyed teaching. i have a passion for motorcycling. what could be better than combining the two? first weekend, sitting in the middle of the range on the bike, instructors throwing information at us at a hundred miles an our, i look around the range, at the other people in the class and think, "what the hell am i doing here?"

i could go on and on with examples... and you would think over time, i might slow down and think before jumping in. well, unfortunately i haven't learned that lesson because i've done it again!!!

over the past year or so i've discovered that i really enjoy long distance riding. don't get me wrong, i'm far from being an expert in long distance riding. and compared to the folks out there who are long distance riders, my rides look more like trips to the local grocery store. but i do find a fascination in long distance riding.

a couple friends i ride with have talked about and participated in the cape fear 1000. when i had the chance to join in this year's rally, i jumped at it!! not only that, i volunteered my wonderful wife to ride with me!!

the past two weeks have been filled with preparations for the rally. paying the registration fees, reserving the hotel, reading the rally rules, getting the liability statements notarized, providing proof of insurance... as i'm doing this, i find i'm asking, "what the hell am i doing here?" what did i get us into??

looking back, every time i've been in the situation where i wonder what the hell i'm doing, i've reacted the same way... i've stuck with the original plan, embraced the challenge and didn't give up. i've appreciated the opportunity. and the feeling of accomplishment i get when i reach my goal.

i'm approaching the cape fear 1000 the same way. my goal, just finishing. i'm looking forward to the ride; looking forward to sharing the experience with my wife.

in response . . .

. . . to john q public’s comment on my earlier post… i would have just responded in the comments, but i think this deserves more than being obscured in post comments…

from facts and figures page on for car drivers site (emphasis added):

Cell Phones

A University of Utah study, "A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver, found that "…the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk." Furthermore, the impairment levels were similar whether the cell phones were used in handheld or hands-free mode.

yikes!!!

‘nuff said…