THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Tag Archives: risks


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Taking a chance

Taking a chance is something we all do each day. Most of the chances are small ones. The big ones though, those are the stressful ones. Some people get exhilaration from taking chances. So run something up the flagpole and see if it flies.

People making a million-dollar stock trade might seem like they are taking a chance. But it’s probably less of a chance than an individual deciding which bill not to pay or if the family will go hungry or without heat or having a car repo’d or even worse a foreclosure because they haven’t been paid in a month.

I’m not going to even get into the life and death chances we all take every day. Like getting into a car and having a dump truck run you off the road because they can’t stay in their lane. Yeah, it happened to me on the way home today.

I took a chance to start a business once. It was a wonderful experience even though it didn’t work our for me. It did for my two partners though.

A chance was taken when I asked for her hand in marriage.

Picking a medical treatment or surgery and taking the chance, that is the cure.

Life is a chance. A chance to explore, experience and embrace.

Random Thoughts of the Day

  • Now might not be the time to fly.
  • Lying to yourself is the first step in lying to others.
  • The Military, the National Guard and Police all have important decisions to make shortly. Will they take up arms and use force against their own population at a peaceful demonstration?
  • The economy is the same as it’s always been. The have’s are happy and the have nots aren’t. The thing that has changed is there are fewer have’s and a lot more have nots.
  • New school, a digital picture frame on the desk. Old school, hundreds of pictures on my office walls.
  • A man who needs monuments, ballrooms and accolades for himself, is not a man.


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Risk without regret

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret. – The daily writing prompt wants to get into the risk/reward area of life.

I rode a motorcycle for a number of years in my life. It was a great time, and I had a ton of fun on the bikes. Taking pleasure rides often and commuting to work on a nice day. I’d still be riding today but it’s just too dangerous on the overcrowded highways in this area now.

First the risk seems minimal. But that quickly changed with the close calls that checkered rides. I never went down on the bike but that doesn’t mean many didn’t try to put me on the ground.

Size matters on the highway, size is everything. I’ve learned that from driving motorcycles and a small convertible. People will tailgate you, run you off the road, cut you off and pretend not to see you.

I always wore a helmet, even when there wasn’t a helmet law in our state. But those things don’t help much. People either don’t see you or don’t care. I’ve had people look right at me and then merge on top of me. Lots of people don’t think you deserve an entire lane.

I once stopped at a light for a right turn. Oncoming traffic prevented me from turning when I noticed a car coming way too fast from the back. As soon as I heard his tires start to skid trying to stop I knew he wasn’t going to be able to. I quickly turned onto the small shoulder because cars were still coming. He slid right through the spot I was in and into oncoming traffic barely avoiding hitting someone else.

Just one of many incidents I’ve had out on a bike. I stopped riding years ago. I thought about another bike about a decade ago, but I also knew my reactions weren’t as good as when I was younger. Plus seeing the number of people killed on bikes was starting to register with me.

I’m a firm believer that LOUD pipes save lives. They might not see you, but they sure can hear you. Those were stock pipes and they were loud enough. Plus, I liked the look of one on each side from the V-Twin.

Jeez, just writing about it has me thinking about throwing my leg over the saddle again. Point it east, till I hit the ocean. My right wrist still has a nasty twitch in it.

My old therapist. Give me that 1100cc shot doctor. Photo by Mike Hartley


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Risk

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret. – Inquired the Daily Writing prompt.

Life throws a lot of risks at you if you want to experience it.

I asked a wonderful girl to marry me. She said yes.

Started a weekly newspaper with two wonderful friends from scratch.

Turned down a management position.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s so there might have been a few/many fun risks taken for that era that I can’t confirm nor deny.

I went deep sea fishing and I’m a person who doesn’t like losing sight of shore.

Road a motorcycle for a few decades.

My old therapist. I miss her. 1100cc of fun in the sun. Photo by Mike Hartley


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Up to my neck

I feel like I’m up to my neck in work and the summer is starting to slip away already. Time to put the brakes on and skid into some vacation. If there is one thing I’ve learned in 5 plus decades of work is that life outside work is much more precious.

From a sculpture at the National Harbor. Photo by Mike Hartley

It also doesn’t look as if I’m going to get any seat time in my go-cart (the Miata). The cover has been on it and I doubt it’s coming off for several days by the looks of the weather.

I might use it as a good excuse to work on my many projects. For the workweek is mostly completed and it’s time for family, friends, and fun.

I selected the photo above when I started this post around 3 am. It’s now shortly after 3 pm EST and the news conference about the loss of the 5 individuals exploring the Titanic wreck have perished just finished. A very sad day for explorers around the globe. The earth, the depths of the oceans, the skies, and the atmosphere above are all very unforgiving places.

While very tragic these people passed doing what they wanted. Be it for the knowledge, the experience, the desire in their mind, or the passion to explore. I believe the expression on the sculpture above would represent their faces if they weren’t allowed to explore instead of their last moments.

People might say they were taking incredible risks far beyond what they should have exposed themselves to. But think of the risks we all take every day ourselves. Many die every day on the highways, at their workplace, or at home doing things that have risks.

Life is littered with risks. For a minute I thought about that father taking his son along and that was not being fair to the boy. Then I remembered a day long ago when I took my son for a motorcycle ride when he was even younger than this boy. So no stones shall be cast by me. May they all rest in peace.