To appease the masses

I have had a few people comment to me how I haven't posted anything in awhile. I had no idea there was such a demand! I am highly flattered and aim to please. So until I can organize all my happenings of the last two weeks, here is an excerpt from my personal history that my mom has asked all her kids and their spouses to write:

"The summer after I turned 16 (It was a big year for me), my uncle Ray, my mom’s oldest brother who was somewhere between his 1^st and his 5^th wife and hardly known, at the time, for responsibility, stopped by our house to show off his new motorcycle. My mom wasn’t home and I being newly licensed and therefore having an unhealthy and naïve fascination with all wheeled vehicles paired with my recently acquired teenage delusion of invincibility, found my uncle’s invitation to drive his new toy irresistible.

He took me to Bountiful Elementary, showed me where the brakes, throttle, and clutch were, got off the bike, and helped me on neglecting to arm me with a helmet. As he was holding the bike up for me because it was too big, he told me to GO! I popped the clutch and threw the bike into a back wheelie. My uncle had decided that starting right next to the tether ball courts was an excellent idea. Because of that decision I found myself trying to maneuver this much too big bike between metal polls with too close for comfort success.

Beyond the tether ball courts were cement stairs leading up to the school. I realized I was heading straight for them. I tried to brake but the bike was still going. It’s only later that I realized I was turning the throttle completely forward and I had such a tight grip because I was scared that there was no way the brakes could have compensated for that. I tried to turn, but I leaned instead and the bike laid down on it side going full speed.

I was thrown from the bike and remember watching the corner of the stairs barely miss my un-helmeted head as I rolled by. When I came to a stop I was embarrassed. Remember I was 16, so I was shamed and in shock the I couldn't automatically ride a motorcycle like a pro. I couldn’t feel my injuries yet due to the adrenaline. Because it was so hot that day, and I was wearing shorts, the skin on my thigh stuck to the seat and was literally rolled off when I was thrown from the bike. The skin on my shins, knees, and forearms was also rubbed away by the asphalt and I had a huge gouge in my side that I’m not sure how I got. I never hit my head on the ground. I firmly believe it was because I had an angel holding my head and protecting me from more serious injury. I rolled about 5 times and physics will tell you the head should have been bouncing around on the ground. I am grateful for such an obvious miracle in my life. The bike continued it course toward the stairs and practically crumpled in on itself.

My uncle ran over and made me lay still for all of about 5 minutes. Then he put me back on the bike, drove me home, dropped me off on the sidewalk in front of my house, told me to feel better and road his crumpled bike quickly away before my mom could even come out and talk to him. Needless to say my mom was FURIOUS with her older brother when she found out what happened. To this day riding a motorcycle is always on the bottom of my list."