[davepol]

This is a true story from my childhood that I'd like to share with everyone:

Me and two friends, Russ and Nick, were riding our skateboards down a steep hill in our neighborhood. After yet another exhilarating run down the hill, we were standing at the bottom -- faced with the prospect of having to trudge back up to the top so we could do it all over again -- when Nick's dad drove by in his pickup truck. He stopped to see what we were up to, when Nick asked his dad if he would pull us up the hill on our skateboards while we held on to the tailgate. This seemed like great fun to three lazy eleven year-olds, who liked the excitement of letting gravity pull us down the hill, but didn't like fighting it walking back up! Anyway, he agreed, and we ran to the back of the truck, hopped up on our skateboards, and grabbed on.

He stepped on the accelerator, and headed for the top of the hill with the three of us in tow. He couldn't have been going any faster than 10 mph, but it seemed like warp factor 10 to the three of us! Halfway up, a rock became lodged between the two front wheels on my skateboard, and I was pulled off. As I was falling, my hands slipped from the tailgate, and I grabbed on to the bumper. Nick's dad, unaware that I had fallen, continued upward.

Now picture this: I'm being dragged up the hill holding on for dear life! Russ and Nick are screaming at me to let go, and I finally did -- after 20 or so excruciating and agonizing feet -- but not before tearing up both of my knees very badly!

So the moral of the story is this: Sometimes you're hurt more by hanging on than you'll ever be by letting go! This is something that helps me in my daily recovery ... and I hope it helps you, too?

As always, thanks for listening ...
Dave