Some of you will remember how I used to post several times a day with write ups of rides, technical advice for newbies and so on. At one time, I was riding 2, 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes 20+ miles in an evening, usually on my Coker, 28, or MUni.
But you’ve not heard from me too often recently. I’ve spent pretty much the equivalent amount of time visiting the cancer ward.
My step mother wasn’t a unicyclist. She was a swimmer - county champion for many years- and then when she retired from the sport, she spent 20 years or so teaching and coaching this and other sports, sometimes professionally, but often voluntarily, because sport is worth promoting.
In the last few weeks, I’ve watched her painful decline, and now she’s on her death bed, barely able to speak or sit up, and we’re just hoping she’ll hang on until her daughter (my sister) can make it from the other side of the world to say goodbye.
And in that time, I’ve watched the young red-headed woman across the ward lose all her hair because of the chemo, I’ve heard the lady in the opposite bed sorting out her will , knowing she’s not got long to go, and I’ve seen the young mother whose child of about 12 was afraid to hug or kiss her because of her illness.
And I visited this forum tonight for a bit of friendly chat and found that something had happened in my absence: flame wars and abusive language, and a general air of unpleasantness on many of the threads.
For crying out loud, it’s a privilege to be able to sit at a computer and type, never mind ride a unicycle. Don’t abuse it, don’t waste it. Falling out over the design, manufacture, price or operation of one wheeled unpowered vehicles is just plain stupid.
Come on, I used to cherish this forum as a friendly place to visit. I did my bit to help to make it that way. Deep breaths, and let’s enjoy talking about this fantastic sport we all share.
