Tragedies

A lot has been said about the tragedy in Mexico that claimed the life of one cyclist and injured at least 10 others. I can't even begin to find all the links and discussions about this terribly senseless tragedy.

The best commentary I've seen on this though belongs to Dave Moulton. It's no secret that I have immense respect for the Dave as a framebuilder, but I also have great respect for him as a writer. His post is eloquent and fitting. I won't even bother to try and say anything more because he does it far, far better than I could ever hope to.

My good friend Stevil at How to Avoid the Bummer Life had a post up yesterday about the incident. Then he pulled it down and replaced with another post- trying to bring back a little less of the Bummer. But ultimately that post came down too- after all, the blog is a marketing extension of the Swobo brand. As a marketer myself, I can see the reasoning... but as a cyclist I can also see the need to share the tragedy as a way to remind all to be careful and thankful and to pray for those touched by this incident. Solidarity and community are really important- I know this now more than ever.

My friends from the Spokesmen and I have been talking about this incident via email this morning as well. Is it good or bad to show the terrible image and is it good or bad to really even discuss it. There are concerns over the friends and families of the injured and killed, as well as sheer decency over continually spreading the image of somebody losing their life in such a terrible way. Like CyclingNews did with their mention of the incident, I've chosen not to show the picture. I have chosen not to because it simply hurts to much to see. I was the victim of a hit and run crash nearly four years ago and I am now recovering from injuries in a racing crash. Knowing a little too intimately how the survivors feel makes it hard to look at or show the picture. Also, I must admit that if pictures existed of my accident, I would feel a little sick seeing them on the Internet- because it was traumatic and was something that emotionally impacted my daughter as well as me (since she was there).

My point is that I do feel it is necessary to talk about this and to be upset about it. But I think we all make our own judgment calls on how we choose to do it and what we choose to say, or show. I'm lucky to be alive today, as are the 10 other crash victims. I give thanks every day that I get to see my kids and deal with the healthcare headaches I have. Life is a blessing and is never a guarantee. I share in the pain of this tragedy and I hope that everybody who reads this will pray for the victims and the people who love them. I also hope that everybody will take a moment to love themselves and their families and friends. I've said it before, but life is far too short and we never know when our understanding of it will change dramatically and without warning.

Ok, enough with the heavy thoughts for today.

Tim

Happy New Year 2008! (And Masiguy Podcast #2)

Well, 2007 is almost a distant speck in our collective rear view mirrors and 2008 is directly ahead. I can honestly say that I am happy as heck to see 2007 vanishing and 2008 arriving... for very personal reasons. That said, 2007 did contain some of the greatest professional highlights of my life. As I've said before recently, 2007 has arguably been the best of my professional life. On a personal level, it ain't been so hot... but life goes on and I am putting my foot on the gas and going forward to a better tomorrow.

There were many highlights to the year for me, too many to try and remember and list all in one post. But the A&F team winning Athens Twilight with Mark Hekman was a highlight, as was traveling to Taiwan, Germany/ Switzerland and Japan. Having the new bikes do so well is nice- demand still greatly outpaces supply. Being a part of a wonderful book project- The Age of Conversation- was a major, major thrill and point of great pride. But... the biggest highlight? YOU. The community of friends I have built here continues to be one of the greatest sources of personal pride that I have. Many of the folks who read this crazy thing are now very good friends of mine- some of whom I get to see from time to time and others I sincerely hope to meet some day. I really can not thank you all enough for the support and friendship I have received- I am indebted.

2008 holds worlds of promise and potential. It's currently a blank slate and I have a pallet of oils ready to smear and shape and texture across the canvas. I'm no Van Gogh or anything, but I've got some clean brushes and a lot of ideas... so get ready. I look forward to continuing to grow and share with you all and to keep trying to make Masi Bicycles one of the most respected brands in the world again. I believe in the products and all the work we are doing, so I hope that continues to shine through and people continue to "get it".

As a special bonus for you tonight, I recorded a new Masiguy Podcast just a short while ago. It's a short podcast, so it's a little easier to listen to- just a few seconds shy of 15 minutes.

Anyway, Happy New Year to you all. Here's to seeing '07 go away and '08 develop into the best year of our collective lives!

Tim