Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Happiness is...quite Confusing.


So I bought a motorcycle the other day, a "Crotch-Rocket" if you will. I am extremely excited (apart from the 40mpg I am now getting) because I have wanted one for a long time and have always enjoyed riding dirt bikes and bumming a friend or family member's street bike for the occasional short ride. The smell of the outdoors, the wind, the ability to maneuver through an otherwise stagnant and uninteresting A-Z relocation. All of it. It's supremely invigorating.

However.

After sharing news of my new acquisition, along with my overstated joy, with people around me, I am finding that more and more folks, rather than simply embracing my happiness or at least feigning delight, are coming across as completely negative. Saying things like, "You're going to kill yourself", or, "You realize that that is not a smart purchase, right?". I even had one person tell me (hand to God), "As long as you sign your life insurance policy over to me I'll be happy for you".

Totally mind blowing.

I understand (at least I am hoping this is the case) that people are more than likely stating their concern for my well being and, in one fashion or another, conveying their desire to see me explore the world safely. But c'mon. 90% of the people I have told about this bike have presented their “support” in a manner all too grim without even asking about my experience on a motorcycle.  Based on the response of my test group, I have to imagine that everyone I’ve polled in this regard must know someone who has had an incredibly bad accident on a motorcycle similar to mine.  90% of the members of my encounters MUST have firsthand negative experience with a street bike; or else, what would cause this reaction? I promise you that not everyone I’ve told has known someone involved in a motorcycle accident.  Many of them aren't people even slightly connected to anything 2-wheeled, yet they somehow have the right to show their support through vocalizing my horrific hypothetical demise.  Thanks for that.


Let me ask you, has there ever been good news (for you) that has been received so negatively by such a wide range of people that it made you upset to share?

2 comments:

Jil Seevers said...

I could share quite a few things, but most can't be posted for the public to view, unfortunately. One was my move to Reno, after living in Northern California for 31 years. Just a taste of what I received: "This is the only place you've ever known, you'll hate it." "See ya back home in a year!" "There's nothing there but drinking, gambling and prostitutes." "You just got out of a bad marraige and now you're jumping into something new? It'll never work." It's been 16 years and I couldn't love my life here more.

Daris said...

Well I'm extremely glad it worked out! And it just goes to show what public opinion means to the truth of it all. Glad you enjoy it here! :)