Power Notes

Power Notes

Day Two of Identity

don't panic

Cortney Matz's avatar
Cortney Matz
Oct 24, 2023
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The feeling comes back to me often, a vivid memory.

When I was 22, I took a motorcycle class. It was a long day of instruction as well as hands-on training - running drills and practicing gear shifts.

At one point, I was navigating the bike around a wide curve and got disoriented. The grassy hill just over the curb at the edge of the parking lot began zooming toward me at an alarming speed.

I was going to crash. I was going to lose control of this bike in first gear, hop the curb and roll down the hill in what was sure to become a ball of flame.

(Having a vivid imagination really backfire sometimes)

Mercifully, before any of this happened I remembered my training: if things go wrong, just let out the clutch.

For a split second, my tunnel vision widened enough to relax my left hand, letting out the clutch and stopping the bike from taking me down.

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