I promise that after today, our comments of the day for the rest of the week will be as un-serious as possible, but for today the best conversations still involved Dan Wheldon, including Armchair Racer's reaction to The Booth Babe's post on life as a racer's spouse.
It is a moving piece. However, Dan was a father.
I lost my father when I was 10. The pain is excruciating. It doesn't go away. Time does not heal all wounds. I know what it's like to not have a father and then grow up with a shitty abusive step-father and still have hostility about it 15 years after moving out. All I ever wanted is to have a family that resembles an actual family. I have a great family now with a great wife and 2 wonderful kids. I also realize that I am not the only soul in that has gone through this and would love to hear from others who lost their fathers (or mother) at an early age.
I like seeing your perspective as a wife.... but I would be interested to hear in a few years how Dan's kids feel about it.
It's one thing to do what you do because you don't know how to pay the bills any other way. It's a whole different thing to do what you do because it makes YOU happy. I have a great job but it requires me to sit at a desk all day. I hate sitting at a desk all day and always have but I do it so I can be there for my kids. Sometimes you have to man up and realize that your time to take a high risks has passed. I feel a responsibility to my kids to not let myself race anymore. Truth of the matter is what makes ME happy right now are my kids. Now when they are 20 something assholes, I might consider getting back in that seat.
People prioritize differently I guess. And I am aware that I could die every day in my car on the commute. I am reminded by the guy doing 90 and texting as he zips by me veering from lane to shoulder. The highway is fucking crazy. However, I have always seen it as something of a selfish risk to put your kids in that situation intentionally. You as a wife can if you choose but a child should not have to bury fear every time their dad goes to the races. It's like Clank-o-tron said in an earlier comment, I am not afraid to die but I feel like it's my responsibility to make the right choices so that my kids don't cry because I was doing something that I didn't need to do.
Anyone understand where I am coming from here?
Photo: Holly Wheldon via Twitter