Well, I am guilty of doing other things - thus, have just cracked the book (went right to pictures). Regarding the danger aspect however:
In my experience, besides my family, I have two loves: the first is glassblowing and the second is motorcycling.
I gave up the later when we decided to start a family, planning to retire on Honda Goldwings after the kids were gone.
I even became concerned about the glassblowing: there is a higher incidence of lung cancer among women who blow glass than men, and I was thinking I should move to a "safer" medium, to ensure my presence for my children's sake. Then, after attending the American Grand Prix (car racing) at Indy, I was jazzed, and wanted to get back into motorcycle racing. I was torn by the selfishness of this concept and as I wandered the airport at Indianapolis, I was trying to come to terms with this, and found myself staring at a magazine which had a cover article on mothers with dangerous occupations (firefighters, etc.). I purchased this in-flight reading material and in a few hours I had a new outlook: All these mothers questioned their choices, but the premise of the article was that they would ultimately be denying their children if they denied themselves. I became determined to get a motorcycle, but only for the track, under controlled circumstanes. 2years passed, and no motorcycle - I could not justify the capital investment. Then I had the AN diagnosis: not lung cancer; not being smeared on asphault; how could I protect myself?
I couldn't. I realized I had to live. I bought the bike: first one I looked at on craigslist. Trust the guy selling? Turns out his mother had a tumor removed 20 years earlier. Devine intervention. They had just finished building a 1.7 mile road track nearby that my husband had joined the year prior, and upon learning of my DX the owners said free track time whenever. I would still need leathers, and I hovered on ebay (new leathers can cost more than I paid for the used bike). None small enough. Then, turns out a woman runs the motorcycle track days heard of my desire and loaned me some (I call every one along the way my personal "Make a Riders Wish Foundation"). I found child care and went motorcycling as fast as I could! This was the picture on my blog where I was smiling as big as Dallas! I had surgery 3weeks later. Now, when I see people who know of my interest, they never ask if I'm going to ride again, they ask when I will ride again. I recently watched my daughter, who exercises exteme caution in everything she does, go bonzai down our drive on her bike (with a helmet/pads) and held my breath, hoping she wouldn't bite it as the terrain is extremeley rough and rocky. She made it, and circled around with a smile from ear to ear and to my surprise did it again! It was then I knew she has way to much dopamine just like me...
It is for this reason I can't judge the Silverwoods; and I see their smiles.
Julie
