I went skiing this Winter Break and had a wonderful time. However, I couldn’t get over the hypocrisy I often witnessed with parents and their kids. For every parent I saw wearing a helmet and skiing or boarding with their kids, I saw another not wearing a helmet, demonstrating the classic case of “Do what I say, not what I do.”
This made me CRAZY. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I’ve been wearing a helmet for years. Like seat belts, it is truly going to be ubiquitous some day but, for now, it’s an optional accessory to many skiers and snowboarders. Excuse me!? How many people need to get paralyzed or killed before the average parent “gets it?”
And, why do we all wear seat belts? Forget the law, I suggest most people wear their seat belts because they know there’s that drunk driver that could hit them. If you’ve ever been to a crowded ski resort with skiers and snow-boarders, it’s not much different. The number of accidents is high; the number of out-of-control participants is omni-present. Why would you ever take a chance? And, why in hell would you not be the example for your kids?
Obviously, this sort of hypocrisy applies to the smoking parent telling his or her child that they shouldn’t smoke, or that they shouldn’t do drugs, while downing their martinis or getting high on a regular basis. Truly, we are the models of the behavior we want from our children. And, they don’t miss much. So, if you ski or board, WEAR A HELMET! But, I’m doing it again; being just a guy.
