wheelie_big_wheel wrote:
> *In all truthfulness, after trying loads of antidepressents and not
> liking any of them, I have to be honest in saying that riding the
> unicycle has had a profound effect on me. Just 20 minutes on the
> unicycle is bettzer than any prozac (or any of the other numerous
> anti-depressants I've had througgh the last decade). *
It's great that unicycling has worked for you. I think one of the key
factors there is endorphins. You can get those from many activities, but
the combination of finding something you like that really motivates you,
and the fact that it's a physical activity requiring lots of energy
expendeture is what makes it a success. So you could have found many
other physical skills, but unicycling is nice because it forces both
your brain and body to work hard, and if you enjoy it the payoff is very
powerful. As long as unicycling remains fun and challenging for you,
hopefully it will keep your brain healthy as well.
> *You have all done me the fantastic favor of making me feel not so
> alone in this nutty fixation on unicycles.*
Yes, there are many other messed-up people out there.
I was once you. The difference was I was younger, and fortunately not
yet married (and no diagnosed depression). My obsession had less
negative effect on others. Over the years I have learned to deal with it
somewhat, but it still flares up from time to time. My wife reminds me
from time to time that I must achieve "balance." Hard to resist when she
puts it that way. Balance between unicycling and the rest of life.
Photography is in there too. I take lots of pictures, and then have to
spend more time dealing with them on the computer.
> *...and as I write this, my son is playing his X-Box (Halo, which I
> also like). Through my manic (and I guess comical way of telling this
> story) I left out the part about buying him his x-box a few days
> later. I honestly thought he would prefer the Torker.*
The X-box is much easier to master, but will never have the short and
long-term rewards one can get from unicycling (or any other real-world,
challenging physical activity). However you can't *make* someone
interested in unicycling. For the most part, people only learn if they
want to. If he's not that interested, he may never have fun with it,
which means it is not necessarily the best activity for him. Though it's
still better than too much X-box time.
> *Since I posted my story of uni-psychosis, I too saw how nutty (and
> selfish) this was, so I paid him the amount I paid for the Torker--he
> was really happy, but he still sulks at the thing-*
So you gave him a unicycle, then an X-box, then the cash value of the
unicycle? Hot damn! If you "bought" the unicycle back, you might
consider taking it back. He doesn't really like it now, and it has bad
connotations for him. Rather than having it hang in the garage for the
next few years, just let him know that if he ever wants to learn to
ride, you'll help him out. I think this might be a stronger motivator
than a unicycle that "waits" for him to work on it. Then it becomes
*his* decision to start riding, and he will feel more in control of the
process.
> *I still think my daughter's boyfriend is a closet unicyclist--I can
> tell. But I'll try to shut my mouth. And my Boss--this is a Coker
> rider if there ever was one--he just doesn't know it yet...*
I can tell you're being humorous here, but in any case, leave those poor
guys alone. If they are truly interested, they will say something to
you. If you push it on other people, it generally doesn't have positive
results. You will find people out there who are also interested in
unicycles, but they'll come to you, or otherwise tell you they want to
learn.
> *I will vote for the one who will in some way improves the lot of us
> unicyclists.*
People could have worse methods of choosing their candidates, I suppose.
Unicycling is a leisure activity. For our "lot" to be improved, it is
necessary for us to be able to afford leisure time. Also, any steps that
can be taken in the area of liability and litigation would surely
benefit us unicyclists. So many places we aren't allowed to ride, and so
many facilities we can't get into because of
insurance/liability/litigation... As for me, I'm voting for the
candidate who is least likely to make our country an embarrassment to
the international community
--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" --
www.unicycling.com
"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (
http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (
http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
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