Decisions, confidence and life.

When someone tells you to jump across a wide drain, do you do it? At a metal barrier which is about four feet high, do you vault over it, knowing that you had done it ten years ago?

Well, I would do it for those are two things I did recently. Since my teenage days, after I have taken up body-building and found that I was just as strong as any other if not more so, I have done all those so called dangerous things. Oherwise, I would not have taken up gymnastics which can bring one's self-esteem down easily. Perhaps, it was my ego. Well, through the years, my ego has mellowed a little through knowledge and understanding from experience and places such as The Art of Living Centre.

When my wife was around she would often caution me. Still I went ahead and did some of the things which she would consider too adventurous and dangerous. It was my ego, fo course. To be the hero has always been strong in me somehow. There are times I succeeded and that brought that wonderful top of the world feeling I have always desired. Of course, there were times when I had to smile sheepishly as I drag myself out of the undignified situations I put myself into. I had been fortunate to have escaped any permanent injury in the spins and spills I endured. Thank God for that.

So, I was really sorry to read in Yahoo!. News today that a young man of twenty-six from Salt Lake City died after he was stuck upside down in an L-shaped underground cave for twenty-eight hours. He could not be saved despite recuers' attempts to get him out with drilling equipment, rope and a pulley system.

This young man was an experienced caver who had even led groups of cavers into other more dangerous caves. Certainly, he must have known the dangers involved. He must have been very confident of his ability to explore such a cave. Perhaps, it was this overconfidence which was his undoing. Having been able to get out of dangerous situations easily can give one the confidence to tackle other dangerous situations without putting much thought into it. I have known this kind of feeling as I have had such kind of confidence with my gymnastic ability and my motorcycle control.

However, upon reading this story of this caver, I think we should not throw caution to the wind unless a situation deems it necessary. We should think of possible consequences when the situation presented us is not a life or death issue. Yes, it is great to be be a 'hero' but is it worth it?

Then again, what would life be like if it is boringly safe and uneventful? Well, we will just have to balance between the two. Judgement is important here. Take risks but if the percentage is too high, so high that we cannot stand a chance of winning, then, if we can, just walk away from it.

I suppose this is something that every individual has a responsible for: his own life. Nobody can do it for us. Judge the situation and decide for yourself what to do. Is not that life? We go through life making choices.