No. Period.
I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.
--Jack London--
Be considerate of others with how you conduct your life, but also ensure that you LIVE your life. If bikes are ultimately the end of my existence on this earth...then so be it. Death is the doorway to the next big adventure. It's permanent disability that worries me most, but if that were to happen, will have to deal with it then.
Nail your colours to the mast that all may look upon them and know who you are.
It takes a big man to cry...and an even bigger man to laugh at that man.
Yes, its the modern anthem as per Neil Young -
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
The trouble is these slick codas are entirely selfish when in the real world most of us live lives intertwined with our families. By all means ride until you die, walk into the Atacama Desert until you die, free-dive into caves...etc.
Pretty much up til the 1980s, everyone conducted their lives for the benefit of their spouses and children. Indeed most people do to this day. But a self-centred ethos has crept into our thinking which seductively says you must be true to yourself. Nobody else matters.
I'd love to climb Everest, ride at 300k on Bonneville, wander off into the Gobi Desert - but I can't. My children deserve my constant love and attention, not to mention paying for their university fees - which my own parents did - so that is the way it is. Sometimes riding a bike isn't enough: other responsibilities take priority. And that's what you'll be remembered for.
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