St Mary The Virgin

VICAR'S LETTER FOR AUGUST

I sat on the step, blood streaming from the back of my head, soaking my shirt and trousers. The ambulance man asked. “Were you wearing a helmet, Sir?” “Err, n-no”, I replied sheepishly. “Well everything seems to be OK, Sir, you’ve been lucky”, he said packing up all his pumps, needles and bandages. “Now, we need to take you to A & E” said ambulance' man. I resigned myself to the inconvenience by thinking that if I had knocked myself unconscious when I fell off my bike in the Park then perhaps no-one would have found me until the next day.

A long time ago a member of St Mary’s School suggested that for safety I should (like her) wear a cycling helmet – she was right. If I had taken her advice I would not be on the step now, covered in blood!! Just how much like life is that though? We know we have something to do; it makes sense to do it, but we just put it off – “I’ll be careful”, we say, “I’ll do it after I’ve seen to such and such” Of course nothing gets done until disaster strikes.

That line of thought is quite selfish because what we decide to do, or not, involves others. Putting off buying a helmet that most other cyclists have found time to buy suggests that my time is more important than theirs. If the accident had been more serious, how would that have affected the person who found me? What about those who would have worried when I didn’t return home? Would a search have to be organised with the police and local folk? What about my wife and family – everyone’s involved. Had the accident been more serious then people I had in my diary would have to be put off – more inconvenience for others and all because I ignored wise advice. Accidents happen, they are part of life, but let’s ensure that it isn’t our pride and foolishness that allows them to happen.

Oh, and by the way, thanks to the posse of girls that saw me staggering home and called an ambulance – they ignored my appeal that “I would be alright”, and got professional help. Thanks girls.

Your friend and priest, Robin.