That video posted of Jimmy without a helmet is a long time ago, years and years. He knows better now as we all should.
I won't go into my story about my wreck at Harlan as it is all out there for people to search if they want to. What I haven't wrote about to date is the ramifications of it though.
Pinball was, to me, an easy climb. I had done it, and much more extreme obstacles, before. My wife asked me if we needed our shoulder harnesses. I told her no because I was almost certain I wouldn't roll. Obviously I was wrong. I think back to that day and how stupid I was. I think about looking over at her being unable to move and in the most extreme pain she had ever felt and how terrible I felt about putting her in it. Honestly, if she didn't need me I probably would have comitted suicide over the guilt I felt and still feel for that. I don't shed tears easily, I'm a pretty emotionless asshole, ask her about it. But I cried that day and only pulled it back together after telling myself how badly she needed me to be strong for her. The EMS had to cut the cage out of my buggy to get her out without further injuring her back which we found out later was broken in five places ... and it was all my fault.
Today as I slowly build a new buggy I contemplate how I am even going to handle wheeling in the future. She loves riding obstacles but her back will never be the same and I would really prefer that she just not ride any more obstacles ever again. Yet that takes all the fun out of it for her and what would be the point in her coming if she had no fun? I know she would do it for me, but would I ask her to knowing she would not have fun? This is an internal debate I have on a daily basis ever since and still haven't come to a conclusion. Will wheeling EVER be the same again? You could say, "Well, she can ride the easy ones." But Pinball WAS one of the easy ones to me.
Obviously, the new buggy has safety as a primary concern with safety items thorughout. 5-point harnesses, helmets, 5 high-end fire extinguishers placed strategically within easy reach, rollcage padding everywhere, suspension seats, possibly window nets, panels and tubing in strategic places to prevent limbs from coming out. I have vowed never to allow her to be hurt as a result of my hobby again. I still feel guilt beyond belief over what happened. In addition, its really made me rethink my overall approach to wheeling. It will never be the same to me again. If she ever got hurt again because of me I don't know how I could go on living. Conversely, I think about what life would be like for her if I got hurt. Would I feel good about becoming a quadraplegic and making her wipe my ass for the rest of my life? It seems to be everyone's mentality that they don't care what happens to themselves as long as their passengers are safe. But it goes both ways. I'd rather die than become a burden to my wife for the rest of her life.
My brother's buggy still has hard seats in it. I won't ride in it ... period. I will never ride in a buggy without shoulder harnesses, helmets, and suspension seats again. Despite how you feel about yourself, it is my opinion that a responsible father / husband would never ride unstrapped without a helmet either. Its about more than just yourself.
I am lazy. It is in my nature to skip the helmet or shoulder straps now and again. As much as I hate Jimmy's overbearing tendency to make wheeling into a competition, I am thankful for his block-headed insistence on demanding safety. He may have learned his lesson from my mistake but I know that in the future he will not allow me to forget the lesson learned even if I am stupid enough to try. I want my past to be an example to everyone of HOW NOT to do it and my future to be an example of HOW TO do it. I hope if I ever try to ride an obstacle without all possible safety equipment in place again that Jimmy absolutely berates me in front of everyone and makes me feel like absolute ****. If I know him, that's one thing I can count on.
Bottom line, I know Mr. Bacon knows that he made a mistake now. Just not sure he knows what the mistake was to begin with. The mistake was getting in ANYONE'S buggy without a helmet and shoulder straps in the first place. If Mr. Bacon feels I am rubbing it in I am sorry. However this post is directed toward everyone in general, not just the Bacons.
I am thankful that Mr. Bacon seems to be alright for the most part and hope he realizes how lucky he got.
J. J.
Leave me out of this
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