Humbled

In so many Hollywood movies, people get thrown off a cliff, shot, hit by cars or some other serious injury, then they just pick themselves up, grunt a few times, and keep on running or fighting or whatever hazardous activity they were just doing. The reason that bothers me is because I know it doesn't work that way. You are out of the race when you get racked up. I know this. I've been injured so many times that I know what it's like. Like today for instance; I've barely been able to move around I'm so beat up by the spill I took on my motorbike this morning. Rear wheel fishtailed out from under me on a sandy corner, tried to control it, couldn't, went down. My legs took the worst of it, my left one losing a bit of skin on the asphalt, my right getting a good whack off of the bike. It's really not so bad; I wasn't going too fast. But nonetheless, I got smacked around like a rag doll by the impact, and my joints are so stiff and sore that I can barely hobble around. Nothing's broken, just a bit of skin, but hell. I have been brought low. Reminds you a bit, getting banged up once in a while. Reminds you that yes, I too can fuck up badly. Also humbling is being dependent on one's kind friends to fetch food and water and other necessities while I'm laid up.

Interesting sidestory: during the skid, my left footrest hit a hose that was just at the surface. A jet of water conveniently came hissing out so I could clean up my wounds. Silver lining. A taxi pickup truck pulled over, and starting saying that it was his water pipe and that I ought to pay him for the damage. Sure. Right. Your hose. And you happened to be driving by at the exact moment this foreigner nailed it. No problem. Don't worry about it, don't ask me how I am. Just see an opportunity to scam someone to make a few baht and go for it. Try this one: go fuck yourself.

Another instance of degraded social relations between Thais and foreigners in touristy areas. I'm sure many of them have seen things here that give them no cause to see tourists as anything but cash fountains, but still. I thought that was in poor taste. Sven helped pick me up and dust me off and away we went. Wait, so I guess that contradicts what I wrote previously. I did just grunt and get up and resume. Just later, after things stiffened up that I've become totally decommissioned.

I am alive and well, although my various bits damn well hurt. And I'm getting a bike with tires less bald. That is, once I'm up to riding again in a day or two.