helmets... Safety may be geeky to some... but I am okay with that

helmets... the stigma has changed
helmets are far less uncool than they once were
in fact... HELMETS ARE COOL!

there was a time when the person with a helmet looked out of place
now the person without the helmet looks out of place

wearing a helmet is something that I really do not think about
wearing a helmet is just something that I do

when riding the bike... snowboarding... ice skating... whatever... I WEAR A HELMET
if there is risk of head injury... I wear a helmet
is for that "just in case"... yes.
is to avoid that "worst case scenario"... yes
is it set the standard for my kids.... yes... but I also want to be safe
wearing a helmet is the logical smart thing to do

my kids get it simple and plain
NO HELMET... NO BIKE


when they sled... they have been wearing helmets since as long as they can remember... pretty much since the first time they captained a sled themselves
it just makes sense... the dangers are there
why not lessen the dangers while up-ing the fun and decreasing the stress and worry

avoid that unnecessary trip to the ER
crossing your fingers as the kids head to the local ski hill is not as good as sending them off with a helmet
and then cross your fingers

skateboards and scooters... they are helmet wearing activities as well

a good friend of mine's son had a skateboard
head injury this weekend
just messing around doing some street tricks
more of a long boarder than a ramp skater
no helmet... the helmet was not part of his skate experience
he is in recovery at the hospital one
my friend is scared for his son
worried that there are some long term injury
maybe some hearing loss... hopefully nothing more
I am praying that what every symptoms are visible from that head trauma will pass
from what I have heard he and his peers will be wearing helmets for all future skateboarding activities

so often my kids get on a friend's scooter for a minute or two
I call out and tell them to wear a helmet
"but dad... I am riding slow"
"dad... I am just taking it easy"
well... it is not a variable... helmet when taking risks and no helmet when just chilling out
it is all helmets all the time
sorry... it sounds excessive
but it is worth the fashion risk

Helmets Save Lives
www.helmetssavelives.org

bike helmet stats
http://www.bhsi.org

helmets... later in life they may have to diatribe of NO GLOVE NO LOVE
luckily we are a few years away from that topic

that photo is from the Washington Post when I was in High School... the front cover
we are crashing after launching off a major jump at Battery Kimble Park
my head mad major contact to the hard earth
for weeks I had a bruise the shape of Africa and only a little smaller on my forehead
those were different times... as a society we now know better