Those words may not mean the same thing any longer. I remember me and my friends jumping lawn chairs on our bicycles. I had an amazing record of 13 of them; however, I landed on my back and knocking the wind out of myself. I laid there on the ground, a frightened 11 year old, hyperventilating. With each gasp of air a loud horrendous noise would come out - EYUUUUUUURK! EYUUUUUUURK! EYUUUUUUURK!
There was only one reason why the kids in my neighborhood made high speed jumps from riding 30 mph down our steep road and onto a cinder block and plywood ramp. Only one reason why we strapped a big wheel to a mini-bike and cruised at high speeds sliding sideways on asphalt, barely missing parked cars. Jumps with tonka toys, snagging swing sets at a full run on a bicycle, jumping from tree to tree, 12 foot flying leaps off of swing sets… Only one reason, somebody dared us.
No one would have ever considered any of those dares had it not for the fact we all wanted to emulate one man - Evel Knievel. Evel passed away this past Friday at age 69. I’ll never forget he was interviewed by Johnny Carson (I think) and he was asked if there was a bone that he hasn’t broke yet as Johnny listed off a long list of past broken bones – knees, arms, pelvis, skull, back, etc, etc. Evel set there for a second contemplating the question and then held up his left pinky finger, and said that one.
I don’t know what he felt like at age 69 before he died from all the broken bones and damages to his body. What I do know is that trying to emulate him as a kid still makes my knees hurt when it rains on the very back side of my 30’s.
Here’s to ya’ Evel! May you jump the river Hades with your rocket powered car more successfully than you did the snake river.
