Berkshire Road
01-28-2007, 07:30 AM
Years ago my sister in law was in an accident while riding her bike. Her helmet was smashed flat, and she had to have reconstructive surgery on her face, and dental implants. But she was saved. Since then she's gone on to get her Ph.D., get married, and have two kids. So, you can see why we feel pretty strongly about bike helmets in our family. Okay, that wasn't the funny part :) but it's coming...
Now my daughter is in sixth grade, and we're just starting to let her ride her bike around town by herself. She was heading off to school one morning last week, pulling her bike out of the garage, and I said (reflexively) "Don't forget your helmet." She had some kind of mood on her that day, and she snapped back, "What if I did? Like anything's really going to happen to me!" So I said, "Listen, Susannah, if I ever see you on your bike without your helmet, or hear that you were seen that way, I will save you the trouble and simply bash your skull in myself with a sledgehammer." She crossed her arms, looked back at me coolly, and said, "Nice use of hyperbole, Ma."
Then she put the helmet on and took off. I was just standing in the driveway in my pajamas muttering, "Hyperbole?"
Now my daughter is in sixth grade, and we're just starting to let her ride her bike around town by herself. She was heading off to school one morning last week, pulling her bike out of the garage, and I said (reflexively) "Don't forget your helmet." She had some kind of mood on her that day, and she snapped back, "What if I did? Like anything's really going to happen to me!" So I said, "Listen, Susannah, if I ever see you on your bike without your helmet, or hear that you were seen that way, I will save you the trouble and simply bash your skull in myself with a sledgehammer." She crossed her arms, looked back at me coolly, and said, "Nice use of hyperbole, Ma."
Then she put the helmet on and took off. I was just standing in the driveway in my pajamas muttering, "Hyperbole?"