Extreme
This afternoon, I read the cover story of the
latest Sports Illustrated, which details the tragic
attempt by Audrey Mestre and Pipin Ferreras to set
a new freediving world record last October. In a
bid to descend to 561 feet without air, Mestre's
lift bag failed to deploy, and she drowned before
she was able to return to the surface.
Last night, I watched an ESPN program laced with
a variety of crash footage from various races and
competitions. In one clip, a motorcycle stuntman
attempted to vault a row of parked cars and trucks,
but fell way short of his mark. He survived, but
lost a leg and broke nearly every bone in his body
in the process.
Such stories are all too common. There seems to
be a growing number of people obsessed with taking
their sporting activities to the extreme, to the
very brink of ruin. I don't understand this thrill
of intentionally risking death. It seems ludicrous
to voluntarily engage in a recreational activity
that has a high probability of resulting in death.
Granted, every time I get behind the wheel, a
chance exists that I'll meet a fiery demise in a
head-on collision. Or, whenever I board a plane,
there is a small possibility that I'll get blasted
into my component atoms if the plane nose-dives
into the ground. But the chances are remote, and
thus acceptable for the convenience of using modern
transportation.
Straddling a motorcycle and launching oneself
into the air at 100 miles per hour, however, seems
absurd. Descending over 500 feet underwater with no
air, just for the notoriety of holding some obscure
world record, seems downright brainless. Sure, you
might gain some fame and fortune—IF you're
successful. But is it really worth it, when the
alternative is DEATH? Apparently some people think
so—which I guess is a good thing, since it
helps keep the gene pool clean. But I just don't
get it.
I enjoy thrills and adventure, but there is a
bright line marked with a skull and crossbones
beyond which I don't step. That's not to say I
won't do anything without a net, but I'd like to
think I exercise good judgment and prudence when it
comes to thrill-seeking. Perhaps the difference is
that my motivation is to have fun, not to stroke my
ego. Whatever the case may be, there's just too
much to do in this life to throw it all away for a
fleeting rush of adrenaline and a boastful story to
tell around the campfire.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
|
|
