Safety First!

Do you lead a safe life?

When was the last time you tried something that you thought might fail?

When was the last time you tried something that you were pretty sure wouldn't work out?

Last night we went to an art show, which was a fundraiser for Ride:Well. It was great. Lots of cool art and lots of great people, and we raised some money for Africa.

I used to think that art was pretty cheesy and that only hippies, daydreamers, and "weird" people were artists. I definitely didn't view it as risky. But the more thought I put into it, the more of a risk art seems to become.

Whenever someone produces a piece of art, whether it be a painting, drawing, photograph, sculpture, poem, song, or anything else, they reveal a little bit about themselves. Then they offer up to the world their creation not knowing if it will be accepted or rejected. And since they are intimately connected with the art being revealed, in a way, their self-worth is associated with the acceptance or rejection of the art because it's almost impossible to create something without putting a bit of yourself in it.

I admire the talent and courage it takes to be an artist. Not everyone is going to appreciate or understand your work and yet you still create.

I've noticed a few things about people who live safe lives and don't take many risks. One is that they seem to lack a certain level of passion for life that a risk-taker possesses. Two is that they seem to have a habit of trying to dissuade others from taking risks. Since they can't see themselves succeeding at certain things, it's hard to allow those around them to try something risky.

I believe that a person who chooses to take risks is well aware of the fact that they might fail. And yet they still try because they know that come success or failure, they are going to learn something and they are going to have a better story to tell.

Aaron is a risk-taker. He started a business and it went bankrupt. Then he started another business and it's doing quite well. And now, despite all the statistics and warnings about new businesses not making it, he and his sister are going to start another one. He doesn't do it for money. He does it for the excitement of the unknown. He's my hero.

Chris and Brian are risk-takers. They create music. Not only do they create music, but they also put it on the internet for people to listen to...for free.

It may sound strange, but I don't consider this bike trip as being risky or unsafe. All we're doing is riding a bike. Any eight year old kid can do that. Sure, there's a risk of getting hit by a car, or getting sunburnt, but that's something we face everyday back home. We have fresh, clean water almost every hour. We have more food with us than we can eat. We get a shower almost every day. We have a roof over our heads every night. Doesn't sound like much of a risk to me. The real people who deserve our respect are the people we're doing this for. The people who don't get fresh water every hour, who don't have enough to eat, who only get a shower a couple times a year, who have no idea what will happen to them tomorrow. They are the risk-takers. They are my heroes.