A Helmet to Take a Walk

Natasha Richardson had a fatal skiing accident this week. It's all over the news. It's a sad thing when a person dies young. She still had so much life ahead of her. At any rate, her accident is causing a buzz in various circles. Was it suicide? The autopsy has disproved that. Was she on drugs and just being reckless? The autopsy also disproved that. She was skiing. Being a young woman enjoying a sport. She had an accident that lead to a brain bleed. The brain bleed became more serious as time went on, and she died as a result. Now, the media are questioning if she should have worn a helmet on the ski slope to prevent this injury.


Here's where I have to say puh-leeze. A helmet? On a ski slope? When you are skiing for the fun of it? I can see this becoming a thing, though. Someday, skiers are going to have to carry a helmet along with their boots, poles, and skis to the slopes. Maybe helmet-wearing skiers will be the only ones permitted to ski on certain slopes. Maybe people who are without a helmet will not be allowed to ski at all. So, if I have to wear a helmet to snow ski, what's next?


"Sure, I'd love to take a hike with you. But I just don't have a hiker's helmet. You never know, I may trip." Or, "Okay little preschoolers, let's all put on our helmets so we can play Ring-Around-the-Rosie. We wouldn't want any of your little uncoordinated noggins to bonk each other!" Or, "Attention ballerinas! Ballerinas! It is now time for dress rehearsal, please put on your helmets so we can finish act 2 of Swan Lake. "

I understand that there are things that we do at high speeds and would create a scenario where a helmet would be appropriate. For instance: While riding a motorcycle. Perfect place for a helmet because concrete can do a lot of damage to an uncovered head at 35 mph. While riding a bike. Good place for a helmet because many people wreck on their bikes and bang up all parts of their bodies. Playing baseball . I don't know a single person who wants to have a baseball near their heads when that ball travels at 80 mph with frightening accuracy. I love helmets in all of these situations. I kind of think people who don't wear them under the circumstances I listed above are just asking for something horrible to happen.


But snow skiing? I just hope that the person who is thinking to implement such silliness has to have a majority vote before it can be enforced.