09/25/2024
Happy Anniversary to me.
Twenty years ago today—feels like a lifetime ago. I mark this day every year to remind myself how damn lucky I am to still be kicking. September 25th, 2004—picture it: a gorgeous afternoon, the kind of day that makes you forget the world’s troubles. Riding through the Carolina and North Georgia mountains with my buddy Danny Weemes, just weeks after Hurricane Ivan had wrecked our hometown. No power, no work. The perfect excuse to hit the road, right? To escape, clear our heads, taste a little freedom.
Ever hear of Transylvania North Carolina? Neither had I till then. We were on separate bikes, enjoying the day, plenty of miles with even more curves, when everything changed. Out of nowhere, a guy—hungover, on his way to his wedding—hits us head-on. Both of us laid out, life-flighted to the hospital. Me to Greenville Hospital South Carolina and Danny to Asheville North Carolina. It would be over a month before we reunited. Six weeks in a hospital bed for me. Danny? He was in there even longer before he could finally make the journey home.
Physically I was a wreck. Concussion, collapsed lung, shattered pelvis, kidney and other internal damage, broken wrist and arm, detached thumb, and a right femur splintered into three pieces. Eighteen surgeries later and I’ve got enough titanium in me to start a recycling business. Two years spent hobbling around on crutches and a cane. But here’s the thing, the best and most blessed thing —I’m still here. Still standing. Still riding.
When you go through something like that, the way you look at life shifts. Food has more flavor. The sky seems a little bluer. Every mile you ride feels like a gift. You stop sweating the small stuff and start appreciating every damn moment—because, trust me, you never know when it’ll be your last.
So don’t waste a second, my friends. Don’t take any of it for granted. Every minute you’re here is more precious than you'll ever realize.
