LOVE―to go fast

“No one is so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” Henry David Thoreau

Enthusiasm for "toes in the water"

“Lucy!―you drive that wheelchair like you drive your car!” a fellow physical therapy school student yelled at me as I wheeled around the corner and about ran her over.  The near accident occurred as I was traveling at breakneck speed (surely I was running late) down the hall to my class.  

At some point during our spinal cord injury class we were all subjected to the experience of being “wheelchair bound” for a week. Unlike most students, who found the experience to be cumbersome, I found great joy in the speed with which the wheelchair provided on long straightaways.  I like to go fast!  

Amazingly, I have made it through my life with only one speeding ticket citation.  The ratio of citations to actual occurrences must look like the odds of winning the Powerball lottery.  1:13,578,892―or something to that effect.  

I have no idea why it took me this long to figure out the simplicity of this idea―especially in how it relates to so many facets of my life. Polo, skiing sports, BASE jump, skydiving, parasailing, surfing, sailing, roller coasters, biking, boating...all of it! These all have one thing in common.  Speed.  I love to go fast. I really love to go fast!  I REALLY really LOVE to go FAST! And with a level of enthusiasm that I feel sure I will never outgrow. I have a desire for new things and learning that I hope I never lose a passion for. 

And now, I have discovered barrel racing.  Wow!  What a rush!?!  My Mother used to summarize my speedy little self by simply telling people I had only two speeds: Stop. And Go Really Fast. At it’s basic core, that’s exactly what happens in barrel racing. You haul tail to one barrel. Stop to make the turn around it.  Haul tail to the next barrel. Stop to make the second turn. Haul tail to the last one. Then, after that last turn, you haul tail out of the arena. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention stopping at the third barrel―maybe that’s why I knock that one over the most...   I always have had a little trouble with STOP.  I need one of those Forrest Gump signs that says, “Run Forrest! STOP Forrest!”

The part I like about going fast is the wind in my hair, the exhilaration of the senses, the sound of the “rush” blowing by my ears.  That “rush-ing” sound is even my favorite part of duck hunting―there’s nothing better than the sound of the birds coming in at sunrise.  “Whoosh!” as they swoop down onto the water.  There is something magical about the air in all of these activities and the sense of speed I associate with all of them. 

I am a Gemini―an air sign.  I’m not a big astrology person. But I think there’s something to the whole thing. Let me just say that at the very least, when I read the description of a Gemini I find quite a few similarities to my own personality. 

In awe of the sky and air at Pawley's

Gemini: changeable, mutable, sparkling and light quality, enjoy being in the middle of everything, talkative (haha!), curious about lots of different things, big communicators, talented at writing, teaching, and public speaking.

If Gemini were a drink, it would be champagne. Bubbly. Fun watch. A refreshing change from the ordinary. Always changing. Light on the palate. A party in a bottle. Easy to get dizzy on when over exposure occurs. 

I do run life at a dizzying pace sometimes.  I am often asked, “Do you ever take the time to just slow down?”  

The answer: Yes. I do stop. I have been in a Pawley’s Island hammock for the last hour writing this entry. In this moment, one could say I am the bubble at the bottom of the glass of champagne. I am stuck to the bottom for just a few more seconds―then it’s off like rocket, up through the flute of the glass, to the surface with “POP!” What a ride! What a rush! It’s not for everyone. But it’s me.

Stop....go really fast.

A place I like to stop...