Wear your helmet properly
After breakfast and a modified dog walk, my husband and I went out for an hour bike ride, before his solo training ride. When he got home from his ride he grabbed me with fresh tears in his eyes.
‘Ew, you’re all sweaty.’ I thought.
“I saw a bike accident.”
“Did they die?”
“No,” but he was still visibly uncomfortable, and began pacing in the kitchen.
“I was the second to arrive,” Larry said. “A car had also stopped. A young woman had flipped over her bike and lay unconscious on her back. On Nelson, at the bottom of the hill, you know, across from the Grange.
“I held her head steady in case she woke and started thrashing. And her helmet strap was loose, it was not adjusted properly.
“The next car to stop had a nurse occupant and I told her what I knew, ‘beside you have more training than I do,’ I told her. I also asked her to move her car into the lane for coverage and safety. The third vehicle was an AAA service truck and he set his flashing lights and placed orange cones around us. All this before the ambulance arrived.
“The injured woman roused and asked, ‘What happened?’
“We told her she had an accident and help was on its way.
“I left when the ambulance and fire department arrived.”
After his story, Larry grabbed me again, tightly, “I had a flash back to when you had your bike accident. It’s been almost exactly twenty two years. When I held her head, I sent positive energy and good thoughts, I hope she doesn’t have a brain injury. I’m so glad you lived and I have you in my life. I love you!”
“I love you too,” I replied, so taken with this big strong man not afraid to show his emotions.
And just think, today is our 17th wedding anniversary!
Yes, I had a bike accident, strangers stopped and helped.
I remember waking up inside the MRI machine. ‘Oh My God, I’ve been abducted by aliens,’ I thought as I started to flail my arms.
“Please keep your arms down by your sides,” I heard an electronic voice.
‘Holy Shit. I have been abducted.’
I have a “Saved by the Bell” certificate from Bell Helmets. Which is funny because I didn’t want to wear a helmet that day and Larry insisted, “I won’t ride with you unless you wear one.”
It took two years to ‘recover’ from my moderate traumatic brain injury. It was a long road. My husband and children were amazing. And now I get to be George, the jock strap, the sag wagon, the all-around support system for Larry on his grand cycling adventure in a few weeks.
“In a few weeks?” you may ask. Yes, Tuesday is our gooseneck hitch installation appointment - Fingers crossed. Gosh I hope we’re on the road shortly after that….
And I’ll make sure Larry’s helmet fits snug.
