Saved By A Peach.

By Wendy Clinch •  Updated: 08/21/12 •  2 min read

A better title for this might be “How a fuzzy fruit saved my bacon.”

I know. Ha, ha, ha.

The thing is, no matter how you put it, I actually avoided what was probably serious injury by stopping at a fruit stand to buy a peach.

Here’s what happened. I was out on a bike ride with some friends when we decided to stop at a roadside stand. I laid my bike down on the grass, bought a nice, juicy peach, and was just giving it a big bite when I heard what sounded like a firecracker exploding. I looked over at my bike, and my front wheel was spinning around….. and around…. and around.  The front tire had completely blown: the inner tube, the outer tire,  the whole thing.

All I can say is it’s a good thing I wasn’t riding. A friend of mine had his front tire blow a few months ago, and suffered a couple cracked ribs, a punctured lung, a broken clavicle, and a couple fractured vertebrae. He spent some time in the ICU and has undergone two surgical procedures.

That could’ve been me. So yeah, I got lucky.

It’s amazing how the simplest act can have such far ranging consequences. The decision to stop for some fruit. To take this or that plane. To ski that trail. To go to a movie.

I have a friend who says, no matter what sport or activity you’re discussing,  “I know soooooo  many people who’ve been injured doing [insert sport here].” This is ludicrous. You can get hurt doing anything. Someone I know broke her leg in 3 places when she stepped of a curb to get the morning paper. This doesn’t necessarily make getting the newspaper hazardous.

Oh, sure, you can take precautions to minimize your risks. When I drive, I wear a seat belt. When I ski, I wear a helmet. And since my bike tire blew, I’ve purchased a pair of Kevlar-lined tires. They’re pretty puncture-proof.

Bottom line: You can’t live your life wrapped in cotton. There’s inherent risk in just about anything you do. If you don’t want to get hurt, maybe you should just stay in bed.

Or maybe you should just eat more peaches. 🙂

 

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