"Always Be Present" Saved Our Lives
After three days of off-and-on rain, yesterday afternoon the sun came out here in Park City, Utah and I decided to quit work early and go mountain biking with my fifteen-year-old son. We rode to to Park City Mountain Resort and started pedaling up the single-track Armstrong trail.
Single-track means a bike trail is just wide enough for one bike to cut through the woods. These trails typically curve a lot and are pretty steep; you often can't see more than 50 to 100 feet in front of you, sometimes less.
For this reason, when going uphill you have to balance the intense effort of pedaling up a mountain with the ability to listen for bikers coming down the mountain. Theoretically, downhill bikers are supposed to watch out for uphill bikers; in reality, descents get very exciting and the prudent thing to do when riding uphill is to always be ready to find a pocket on the side of the trail that allows you to escape downhill bikers.
Thankfully, my son learned this lesson well. He was riding in front as we worked our way up the trail, and just before a tight turn he heard a rider ahead whoop with exhilaration.
Matt pulled to the side, and I did the same.
What happened next was so shocking, it took us several hours to absorb the implications.
A second or two after we pulled over, a moose raced down the trail. Stick out your arm in front of you, and that's how close the moose came to us. It was running very fast, and seemed terrified.
In truth, I am not an expert at reading moose emotions, but it seems to me that when a moose runs down a single-track trail instead of simply bolting into the woods, he is scared.
The reason he was scared is because a Whooping Idiot was right behind him on a mountain bike, going full speed, having the time of his life.
I tell you this story not so you can be scared for our close call, but rather to warn you that at some point in your career, a Whooping Idiot is going to cross your path. She or he won't be chasing a moose, but his or her actions will be equally dangerous and completely unexpected.
Like us, you may have only a second or two to react. You may go from relaxed joy to instant terror in the flash of an eye. Or some bizarre danger may unfold in slow motion, over several weeks.
Fortunately, there is a strategy for surviving encounters with Whooping Idiots: always be present.
In the case of Matt and myself, our entire encounter with the moose took less than ten seconds. Maybe less than five. We were unscathed because each of us were paying attention.
But if Matt wasn't paying attention to the trail ahead - or if I wasn't paying attention to him - the outcome could have been horrific.
You can't plan for the unexpected, but you can be present in all the moments of your day-to-day life. Pay attention. Listen and watch for what's coming. Enjoy the ride, but be aware that you live in a sometimes dangerous and random world.
If you remember this, then we have all done our job. We have transformed a Whooping Idiot into a highly effective teacher. Pass the word:
Always be present.
Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. You might also like his $4.95 Kindle books...
Biker and moose images from Noun Project
房地产专家 | 成交高手 | 市场战略创新者
9 年Oh, i've come across too many of these scenarios. However, in the most recent one I "was present" and wow how the outcome changed. I didn't absorb the "whooping's idiot" anger but rather stayed calm and nodded. Moments later, he thanked me and shared how my calm demeanor helped and reminded him to "take a breath and 'calm down'" =)
It's OK if you disagree with me; I can't force you to be right.
9 年What an amazing encounter! And some super lessons learned. Whooping Idiots are the bane of my existence! (I hope I'm not the moose...)
Speaker on 2024 Dating Challenges. Paid Content B2B Sales Professional / 2021 Featured Background Actor in Netflix mini-series HALSTON
9 年So true. Recently when I had just crossed NYC's 8th Avenue below Columbus Circle a car made a sharp right turn south, where, unfortunately the avenue is one-way north. The driver made a U-turn without hitting anything. You have to watch for what could happen if everything goes wrong, not just what is supposed to happen when all goes right.
RETIRED July, 2023 Freelance Writer and Editor at Lines & Spaces
9 年I have used a similar two word admonition: Show up. You may have all the talent, creativity, opportunity, and potential that one could hope for, but those gifts amount to nothing unless you show up.