I saw a post today on Facebook, this is something that over the years I have seen a lot of from many different kids.
"I am going to QUIT riding BMX"
I guess I find this kinda funny, I am 40, I have been riding BMX bikes since I was probably 4. Although I have taken a year or two where BMX wasn't the prominent thing in my life (I replaced with Motocross or a job or a girl here and there) I never thought to myself, QUITING riding bikes. It seems weird to me that people always say they are going to quit. It's not a job, BMX is not something you are forced to do, and to me quitting is something you do when you hate what you are doing.
I sound like a hypocrite because BMX is my job, but really, riding BMX is an escape from that. For me, it's freedom, it's the one thing in my whole life that is a constant and never changing positive excitement.
It's not about tricks, although it is super rewarding to land a new trick or an old one, it's about the thrill of pulling into the park and seeing who is there to hang with. The invite to the trails or the ramp jam. The people that forever changing but are all there for the same reasons. The times when you are all there, where ever you are, because of your BMX bike but you aren't riding it and instead are all sitting around having a great time doing nothing. The times when you find yourself on the other side of the country with the best of friends and you haven't touched the bikes in 4 days but the bikes are what actually got you there. For me...
BMX is simply more than a bike and a crowd of unknown young kids oohing and ahhing because you did a cool trick or maybe for you it is just that, what ever it is, you shouldn't have to publicly quit riding unless your on Dew Tour and expected to win the next weekend.
If you are saying you are going to quit so you can a response out of people like "Don't quit , you are so good." Thats just sad, Then I say if you truly aren't having fun anymore, put it away for a while, do something else, and then when you feel like taking a ride again, jump on it and ride.
There's that saying that "Quitting is not an option" I guess for me quitting has always been an option, It just has never been a thought.
