Why? "How Your Choices Shape Lives in Safety and Beyond"

Hello friends, the article below contains the dedication, introduction, and chapter 1 of my book,

Why? "How Your Choices Shape Lives in Safety and Beyond"

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Dedication

To those who have suffered loss in the name of progress,

To the unsung heroes who speak up when others stay silent,

To the families who endure the consequences of choices made on the job.

And to everyone who strives to make safety more than a policy, but a culture

This book is for you.

May your stories inspire change, your courage save lives, and your commitment remind us all of the

Introduction

Narrator: There’s something about childhood friendships that makes them feel unbreakable, no matter how many years go by. For Dave, Mike, and Terry, this bond was especially true. From the time they could remember, they had been inseparable—always pushing each other to go further, try harder, and take risks no one else would. They grew up more like brothers than friends, united by their shared love for skateboarding. You never saw one of them without a board in hand, ready to conquer the next impossible trick.

Now in their late 30s, they often looked back on those days with fondness—those carefree times when the only thing that mattered was who could pull off the craziest stunt. It was reckless, sure, but it was their world.

The three of them stood in Dave’s garage, laughing as they watched an old video from their teenage years. On the small screen, grainy footage played of makeshift ramps, grinding rails, and fearless tricks in the local park.

“Remember that one?” Dave grinned, rewinding the clip to his 360 flip off a concrete ledge. “Took me two weeks to land it. Look at that air!”

Terry chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, right before you busted your arm trying it again. Bet you left that part out when you showed the boys.”

Dave shot him a playful look. “Oh, they’ve seen it. Gotta let ‘em know their old man was the real deal. Luke’s getting the hang of it, but Ben…” He paused, a proud smile spreading across his face. “Ben’s something else. That kid’s fearless.”

Dave’s sons, 10-year-old Luke and 8-year-old Ben, had taken up skateboarding just like their dad. Luke was good, no doubt, but Ben? Ben had a spark—attempting tricks that most kids wouldn’t dream of.

“You sure it’s a good idea showing them those videos?” Mike asked, his tone teasing but laced with concern. “Last thing you need is one of them landing in the hospital like you did.”

Dave shrugged. “They’re smart kids. You can’t hold them back, right? They’ve got to try.”

For Mike, skateboarding had become a bittersweet memory. He’d been the best of the group, fearless and always going bigger. But everything changed when he was 14. A drunk driver ran a red light, hitting his dad’s car. The accident took Mike’s father and ended his skateboarding days forever.

“Yeah, try saying that when your arm’s in a cast,” Mike quipped, his voice tinged with something unspoken. Though he no longer skated, Mike was always there— camera in hand, capturing every trick and crash. It wasn’t the same, but it kept him close to his friends, who had become his family.

Mike and his wife, Emily, never had kids. The accident had changed more than his skateboarding days. He never talked about it, but everyone understood. Still, the bond between the three of them endured, built on shared memories, laughter, and loyalty.

Terry leaned back, watching the video but thinking about everything else on his mind. He’d married his high school sweetheart, Sarah, and their two kids, 16-year-old Jacob and 14-year-old Lily, excelled in sports. Jacob was a second baseman on his school’s baseball team, while Lily dominated softball and volleyball. Terry’s family was his pride and joy, but work had been slow lately. He’d gone from running projects to picking up tools again—a frustrating step backward.

“Jacob’s first game of the season is next week,” Terry said, changing the subject. “He’s been practicing hard, but I keep telling him—it’s not just about showing off. It’s about being safe out there.”

“Well, you’d know,” Dave joked. “You were always the safety-first guy, even when we were kids.”

Terry smirked. “Yeah, and look how that turned out.”

Narrator: They were older now, their lives pulling them in different directions. Dave, the machinist, could craft anything with his hands. Mike, the appliance repairman, had taken over his family’s business. And Terry, the construction superintendent, worked hard to keep his crew busy and his family grounded. Yet, deep down, they were still those same kids from the skate park—risk-takers at heart, pushing limits even when they knew better.

Their stories were about to change, though. Each would face challenges forcing them to rethink everything they thought they knew about risk, safety, and why it mattered.

For now, they laughed, reliving a time when nothing seemed impossible.

“You guys still up for our usual Friday night?” Mike asked, stretching his back.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Dave replied. “Got a new trick to show the boys tomorrow morning, though. Just gotta make sure I don’t break anything.”

Terry raised an eyebrow. “Maybe this time, listen to your own advice and play it safe.”

Dave laughed it off. But little did he know, the lessons they were about to learn weren’t just for skateboarding. The risks ahead were real, and the consequences would hit closer to home than any of them could have imagined.

Narrator: Sometimes, the most dangerous risks aren’t the ones you take on purpose.

Chapter 1: Growing Up Reckless

Narrator:

If you grew up in their neighborhood, you knew the sound of wheels hitting concrete. It was the soundtrack to every summer afternoon, the crash of boards and the slap of sneakers as Dave, Mike, and Terry tore through the local skate park. Other kids hung out, but these three owned the place. Skateboarding wasn’t just a hobby—it was life. And nobody could do it better than Dave.

The camera’s shaky, but you can still see it: Dave, poised at the top of the concrete steps at the park’s old amphitheater, his skateboard balanced under his feet. Mike’s standing off to the side, camera in hand, waiting to capture whatever insane trick Dave’s about to pull off next. And there’s Terry, hyping him up from the bottom of the steps, as he always did.

“You got this, man! Just like last time!” Terry called, pumping his fist in the air.

Dave nodded, focusing. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done this a hundred times before, but every new trick had to be bigger, better—more daring. He leaned forward and pushed off, the board sailing out from under him as he launched into a Backside 360. Time seemed to slow down as he twisted in midair, the ground rushing toward him.

Mike zoomed in with the camera, catching every second of Dave’s perfect form as he spun, landed clean, and rolled out like a pro.

“Hell yeah, Dave!” Terry shouted, running over to slap him on the back.

“Told you I had it,” Dave grinned, breathless but beaming with pride.

But Dave wasn’t done. He’d been working on something else—something tougher. The Double Kickflip. Most of the other skaters wouldn’t even attempt it, not off the amphitheater steps, but that was what separated Dave from the rest.

“Alright, now for the real one,” Dave said, setting himself back at the top of the stairs.

Narrator:

They were all good, but Dave was the best. He was fearless, confident—sometimes to a fault. That day at the park, he’d already nailed the Backside 360, but it wasn’t enough. It never was.

Mike hit record again. “Alright, man, let’s see it.”

Dave pushed off harder this time, his board flipping twice under his feet as he kicked and jumped, twisting

in the air like he was born to do it. For a moment, it seemed like he’d land it clean, just like the 360. But not this time. His back wheels hit the edge wrong, sending him flying sideways, straight into the nearby park bench.

The camera dropped as Mike and Terry rushed over, laughing the whole way.

“You alright, man?” Terry asked, though his grin showed he already knew the answer.

Dave was clutching his arm, trying not to wince, but even he was laughing. “Yeah, yeah. Just broke my arm, no big deal.”

They all knew it. This wasn’t the first time Dave had taken a spill, and it wouldn’t be the last. To them, it was just part of the game—just another day learning something new. And despite the pain, Dave still had that fearless glint in his eye.

“Guess that shuts you down for a while, huh?” Mike teased, but Dave shook his head.

“Nah, just until the cast comes off. Then I’ll be back at it.”

And he was. The day the cast came off, Dave was right back on his board, lining up to do the same tricks that had landed him in the ER. He didn’t care about the risks. He was too good to fail, and even if he did, he’d be fine. That’s what he always told himself.

Narrator:

Fearless. Reckless. That’s how they saw themselves. To them, getting hurt was just part of learning. No big deal. They weren’t just skateboarders—they were daredevils. And the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

Years later, they still laughed about it. Dave, Mike, and Terry sat in Dave’s garage, the video of that day playing on a small screen in the background. They had grown older, but the memories hadn’t faded.

“Man, I can’t believe you just got up after that,” Mike said, shaking his head as the clip of Dave crashing into the bench replayed on the TV. “Your arm looked like spaghetti.”

Dave chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, well, pain’s temporary, right? Besides, you were the one who caught it all on camera. You’re just as guilty.”

Terry grinned, pointing at the screen. “And I’m the idiot cheering you on. Remember how we just laughed at you for breaking your arm?”

“What else were you gonna do?” Dave said with a shrug. “It’s part of learning. Gotta take risks to get better.”

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Mark Ralls - SMP [email protected]