In March when a 14-year-old boy died in a Motocross race in Missouri, I thought to myself..."Aaargh! Parents who encourage their kids to participate in dangerous sports!" He was born in the city 35 miles up the road.
This morning I was saddened to read of a second death, another 14-year-old, a girl, who lived in that same city. She died in a Motocross race, too...at the Ponca City Grand Nationals in Oklahoma.
Both these kids were experienced riders, and undoubtedly wearing all safety garments.
It's a sad time for the parents of this teen. I do not post this in an accusatory manner...but it bothers me enough that I want to say this...motocross is a dangerous sport. Fun, exciting, exhilerating...but dangerous. Deadly dangerous.
That's all I'm going to say about that.
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I remember that I went to a funeral for a young man who died after a drinking/driving accident. The mother kept saying "He grabbed life and he LIVED it. That's the way he was." It must have comforted her, but to me, it made no sense at all. The boy engaged in risky reckless behavior that could have killed a lot more people. He was quite a drinker at home and out. You can't make a drinker stop, of course, but as a parent, you've got to say the right things. You've got to say, this is dangerous, and I love you, and I don't want you to do this anymore.
These parents will likely say that their child died doing something they loved. Probably. But as parents, there are many things that a child might want to do that you, being a responsible parent do not allow them to do.
One of the biggest on-going arguments Dylan and I had during his teen years is that he wanted a motorcycle. I said no. He had a dirt bike, but driving on the road w/ a motorcycle? I told him, you're a young inexperienced driver. You make a mistake in your car, you're going to damage your car. You make a mistake on a bike, you're going to hurt yourself. I stuck to my guns. I told him when he was 18, he could do as he pleased. He's 25 now. Know what? He has all the money in the world to have that bike, if he wanted it. He doesn't. Sometimes he'll call me and say, "I'm thinking about getting a bike." I'll say, "You're a big boy now." That's the end of that. I wonder if I preached him a sermon about it, it might not push him to rush out and get one, just to show me who is in charge of his life. I wonder, but I'm not going to attempt to find out.
It is the thrill and an adrenalin addiction that drive people to do dangerous things. I find that knowing Christ and serving Him as I can is the only high of lasting value that I need. Seving Christ is some times just as dangerous as the thrills people seek, put the reward is better.
It's just like how I feel about ATVs. I've ranted on that subject several times.
Fortunately my husband does not like motorcycles and it never even came up in our home as a possibility. It's scary enough putting them behind the wheel of a car!
We have quite a few motor cross riders where we live. The other night as my husband and I were walking, they rode by, doing lots of stunts. Now there were obviously trained and they were wearing every bit of gear you could possibly put on. But, the fact that one of the boys looked so young did bring up the topic of conversation regarding what activities we choose to engage in and being prudent. My husband and I had different perspectives on that...makes me wonder if men and women look differently on these issues.
What a very sad loss for these families and communities.
I’ve been a blogging slacker lately because we're on a long, long road trip. We’re in Arizona now and I have a bit of time on the computer – finally! I was having withdrawls from being away from my blogger buddies so long, I tell you. I hope your summer continues to be as wonderful as it sounds here. Love to you.
So sad, isn't it? I'm afraid that if I were a mother, I wouldn't allow it. I say that, but I wonder if I would give in under the pressure???? I hate all the risky things. And so many sports just keep on going up a notch each year with more daring, more thrilling, higher, etc., stuff to make the competition greater. Just give me a racket and a birdie and a net strung between two trees!!!
Some things are just never understood. It's senseless, and sad. I would not allow it.....there are so many sports as options, why choose one so dangerous for such young people.
It is so sad for all but especially the parents....
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