I am sad.
A close member of framily has suffered a repeat injury and will probably be off contact sports for the rest of his life. There’s a bit of history behind this that I don’t want to delve into. When things go wrong, it’s never because of one thing. Like Gladwell explains in Outliers, a plane only crashes when a combination of 10 odd things go wrong. In this case, it was similar. It was a case of wrong place, wrong time and bad luck. But I’m still sad.
I’ve had a similar experience with another member of framily over the past few years. I wrote to him the moment I heard this.
I’ve learnt over time, especially thanks to these two close friends, that messing with our body or health is typically a slippery slope. The stuff that’s forbidden always feels and looks good. How else can we explain the amounts of alcohols and tobacco consumed every single day?
Some of this stuff may be okay in the short term but they end up being cause for an incredible amount of agony in the long run. Among the famous quotes on the matter is the one by iconic footballer George Best –
‘In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol and it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.’
Very good for humor but if you’ve ever read about Best’s life, then you’ll likely be filled with sadness. Reading about Best was probably my biggest influence to not touch alcohol and tobacco. I clearly remember digging deep into the story of this United and footballing legend four years ago. Dubbed as ‘a fifth beatle’, World player of the year and European winner at 22, he was the kind of player you expected to eclipse Pele. But then, events took a tragic turn. His career and life gradually fell apart and he died a few years ago with multiple liver and kidney problems.
I clearly remember the horror I felt when I read his story. And I remember telling myself ‘If a man of his genius was ruined by it, what about someone like you?’
And I remember deciding that it wasn’t worth the risk. I don’t think I’ve missed much. And I doubt I will ever make a better decision.
I remember this being reinforced by Richard Feynman’s note on alcohol. On a trip to Brazil, he realized he suddenly felt a craving for it. And he decided to quit right then. ‘My brain is too precious.’ I’d echo what he said and say it referring to my body. It’s way too precious to mess around with.
Life would be boring without these excesses is what I’m told from time to time. Well, sure.
I’m happy with boring. I’d much rather not be lying in a hospital bed twenty years, regretting the damage I could have prevented. I don’t think a few seconds of happiness is worth the long term agony. I’d much rather spend that time building something meaningful.
But, that’s just me.
I am sad.
A Learning a Day 