Why Bother?

On the ride on Sunday I had the opportunity to talk to Simon (my observer) in some detail.  I wondered what would inspire a man, or anybody for that matter, to give up there time freely to educate others bikers.  To put time and effort into teaching with no possible financial reward.

I have spent a few days since Sunday thinking about this very thing. 

In the end I came to several conclusions.

All over NZ, and obviously many other countries, countless individuals will give there time and commitment to helping others, or promoting some thing that they consider important.  They do this because they are passionate about it. They do it cause they love to do it, and they do it because the results far out way the time they put in.  Weather it be couching a girls soccer team, or a boys rugby team, weather it be meals on wheels, or collecting for the blind.  There is some thing very rewarding about doing such activities.

But...........what motivates people to do such things?

Which brings me back to IAM, and the conversation I had with Simon on Sunday.  I asked him why he did what he was doing.  Mainly because it was clear to me that he is a busy man and I am sure he probably had better things to do with his time than follow a chubby guy around behind a red triple.

He went on to tell me about a recent motorway accident involving a biker.  With out going into detail, the biker lost control while entering a on ramp, slid across three lanes and into the wire rope barrier  (or as we call them over here "Cheese cutters") He was picked up in four pieces.   This alone is motivation for encouraging better riding.  Seeing the consequences of some body's riding and knowing that you can teach and help people to ad void such tragedy's would be very motivating.  It would be for me.

When he stops a biker  for reckless or dangerous driving he always promotes IAM and encourage's them to seek out and get some better training.   Not one single rider has ever taken him up on his offer. 

Which brings me to a point which applies to every sport or exercise where training is required.

YOU CAN ONLY TEACH SOME ONE IF THEY WANT TO LEARN

and here lies the problem.

The single and most motivating factor for me in  getting some training was not my stupidity or lack of training......it was some else's. Some one who, if I could of I should been able to offer some commonsense and some up skilling. But if you are blind you can not tell a blind man what you don't see.

I have long given up on the government doing anything sensible about such things.  If I want to make a differenc then only I can do so.  In your chosen field what ever it maybe, if you are passionate about it then you can make a difference.

I look at like this.  If I and Geoff get to a position where we can train just two people, and those two people go on and train another two people each, and those four train two each, and those eight train two each....... you can see where this is going. 

Thanks for reading everyone..............and or all the Kiwi Fathers out ther, Happy Fathers day on Sunday!