Apology

Yesterday I was enjoying the day with a 2 1/2 hour bike ride. There are some great paved trails nearby that are really fun to ride. The trail follows a creek and even though you know that a highway may just be a few yards away through the trees, it still feels like a little get-a-way. In order to dodge streets, subdivisions, and businesses - the trail has many twists and turns. Some turns can be very sharp.

Last year I really got into riding my bike so I have most of the equipment that you would expect from a 'serious' rider.

Trek road bike (the kind with skinny tires) - check
Water bottle - check
Camelbak (a backpack that holds 72 ounces of water) - check
GPS watch - check
Clip in shoes (like ski boots clip into skis) - check
iPod - check
armband for iPod - check
helmet - check
dri-fit athletic clothes to wisp away perspiration - check

Can you picture this?

My gear and I were about 20 minutes from home and according to my fancy GPS watch I was moving along at a little over 16 miles an hour. As I was leaning into one of the thousand turns another biker was headed straight for me. He swerved one way skidding . . . I swerved another way skidding . . . and before I could do anything else I felt my helmet speeding towards the other bikers face. Smack! The next smack was my elbow and head (still in the helmet thank goodness!) hitting the concrete.

I don't know how long we both laid there on opposite sides of the trail stunned, but it seemed like a good 20 seconds. I felt like Rocky Balboa in Rocky I when he and Apollo Creed were both knocked out trying to pull themselves up using the ropes. To a spectator I looked like a skinny, mental defective that didn't know how to ride a bike. How many people do you know that have had a head on collision riding a bike?? I venture to guess, NONE!

After doing inventory on my bruised body and asking the other biker about what type of injury(s) he sustained, he asked me why I was riding so fast on his side of the trail. This comment rubbed me the wrong way, but attempting to keep my cool I informed him that I was on "my side" of the trail and that we hit each other in the middle of the trail. If he hadn't had swerved to "my side" we wouldn't have collided.

And wouldn't you know it, his wife or girlfriend was riding with him and she backed up his story. After reiterating my point, she made the comment, "Look, no one is blaming you for anything, just say your sorry!"

I couldn't believe what I just heard! You couldn't have gotten me to say I was sorry for $10,000! I'm sorry my helmet didn't break his nose!

Now, a day later, my adrenaline is back to normal levels, my body is bruised and sore, and I can reflect a little more on that situation. What really fascinates me about that girls comment was that she was less concerned about who's fault it was and more concerned with an apology. All she wanted to hear was "I'm sorry".

Somehow saying "I'm sorry" was going to make the situation better. I was too much of an idiot yesterday to say those words. My pride got in the way of humbling myself to apologize even though I thought I was in the right. Did it really matter if I was right or not? Would I really be able to convince the other biker who's face I just smashed that he was wrong? No of course not.

Saying "I'm sorry" is a very tough statement for people to make. It's got to be something that we get more comfortable with saying. These two words can be a fantastic fix to a problem and really help save a relationship. It doesn't matter who is right. That's irrelevant most of the time. Humble yourself, say a genuine "I'm sorry", and move on!