Even as a trained clinical psychologist and a avid cyclist myself, I'm at a continual loss trying to understand why some motorists behave so aggressively toward their fellow human beings simply because they choose to be astride two wheels in the same time and space.
Recently, one of my Butte, Montana cyclist friends was seriously injured by a hit and run driver during an early morning ride. She had just crossed a two lane bridge with no oncoming traffic, with safety lights a blaze, wearing a reflective vest, and riding as close to the right as she safely could to negotiate a raised curb. She was doing more than everything right! The last thing she remembers before being struck by the truck's right passenger mirror was the sickening sound of the vehicle's diesel engine spooling up intentionally as the truck accelerated toward her. That right side mirror hit her square in her back and was torn from the truck. The driver never stopped and left her in the roadway to die. Fortunately, she did not die. She was knocked unconscious for a time, but instinctively regained her awareness enough to recover the mirror and ride back toward her home. She never made it home, but managed to call for help on her cell phone before shock set in.
She ended up in the emergency room with a severe shoulder injury, several broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. It was a miracle she wasn't killed. It took her almost two weeks before she was well enough to be released. She'll never be the same physically or emotionally, and still has some painful physical therapy to endure in order to work through her recovery. This was her second time to be hit by a car while riding her bicycle. And, in both cases she was obeying all traffic laws and doing what she should have to be safe.
Just yesterday, one of my closest training buddies back in Texas was injured in a crash caused by a motorist cutting her off to make a right turn. It left her bruised, with a deep gash on her elbow, shredded her riding kit, and destroyed her drive train and shifters. In her case, the motorist was located by the police and issued a ticket for failure to yield. And, his insurance company is now responsible for her medical expenses and replacement of her damaged cycling attire and bike.
Yes, what happened to my friends was senseless, inexplicable in the context of human social interaction, unforgivable, and potentially life changing. But, the fact remains that the specific cause of their misfortune will forever be a mystery. The real reason for such misconduct may never be known. The issues and circumstances are situationally complex.
The Yin and Yang symbol is one of the oldest and best-known life symbols in the world, but few understand its full meaning. It represents one of the most fundamental and profound theories of ancient Taoist philosophy. At its heart are the two poles of existence, which are opposite but complementary. As part of the Tao, they are merely two aspects of a single reality. Each contains the seed of the other, which is why we see a black spot of Yin in the white Yang and vice versa. They do not merely replace each other but actually become each other through the constant flow of the universe.
The Zen of the open road may never be achieved until all users of it have a common reality and become completely enlightened; hardly a possibility when ignorance, self-indulgence, envy, and bad judgment prevail.
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