Am I crazy or stupid?

I was going to start with my series on the existentialist bug, why my daughter left the church when she left for college, but decided that it would be best to start with something  a little more lite for the release of my blog :D

As an extreme sports participant and bull rider I’m often asked “are you crazy?” which I tend to prefer over, “are you stupid?”  Although some may consider climbing aboard a 2000 pound pissed off hamburger, and trying to hang on for eight seconds, just stupid. Even though un-recognizable to most there is a difference between “crazy” and “stupid”. If you look back in history you see that many of the important people that shaped and changed our lives were called crazy at one point For example, Thomas Edison, and the Wright brothers.  It’s also ironic to note that the opposite of these historic crazy people is now considered stupid. If someone told you to live without light or to walk to Japan you would look at them as if they were complete idiots.

So is there a difference? Yes! The difference is two things “perspective” and “approach”.  It is simply how we go about doing it, our mental setting that prepares for the action. Perspective is our understanding of the situation. If a bull rider understands that this sport is dangerous and he could be killed while riding then his senses can be better prepared for the “approach”. “Perspective” prepares “approach”. Because the rider understands the consequences of his actions, he will then desire to prepare for the best outcome. This desire pushes the rider to train, learn, rehearse, and get guidance in preparation for the action (these preparations are the “approach”). By the time the rider actually climbs aboard Bushwacker he has already mentally worked through and prepared for every outcome. He is now ready to perform the action. Unlike a drunken college kid on spring break who jumps off a cliff into unknown water below (if you didn’t catch it, this is called stupid :). This adolescence didn’t stop to consider the consequences (Perspective) and did nothing to prepare for the action (Approach). 

So turn the lights on, take an airplane, be smart, and simply live a mental life.