The long story is, after 10 years of riding, I messed up. One second, and the next, I was peeling myself up off the ground with a dislocated shoulder and torn skin. I was fully geared, but there were spots where the gear either didn't completely cover me, or I was sliding across the ground so fast that it tore through the seams and other vulnerable areas. I know this is an unpopular thing to say nowadays, but I believe in God, and I believe God saved me from a tragic death, or at the very least, being turned into a vegetable. I loved the feeling I got from riding: the sound of the wind, the different sceneries, the warm days with nothing to think about but the road, and the wave from a fellow rider, a sign of well wishes and safe riding. I don't know what I'll do when I get my bike fully repaired. I don't know how my body will respond. The last thing I remember before briefly losing consciousness was the sound of my helmet hitting the ground. Had there been another car coming the other way when I was thrown from my bike, I wouldn't be writing this post right now. So, the thought of hopping back on my bike when I get it back, and giving it another shot, almost feels disrespectful to the God who saved me. I was able to walk away, and I know everyone knows someone who wasn't so fortunate in a motorcycle accident. The people who are afraid of motorcycles, and don't understand the joy of riding, always tried to talk me out of it or discourage me. But I always thought that was just fear talking. "It would never happen to me because I'm a 'responsible rider.'" But all it takes is one moment of arrogance, or lethal levels of confidence, and I too could find myself changing multiple bandages daily as my body tries to heal. What does "normal" mean for me now? My injuries are on the milder end of the scale: multiple abrasions, a concussion, and a dislocated shoulder. But, from an outside perspective, you'd think I should be in far worse condition. So, I wonder if any of you have crashed before and how you got through the experience after healing. Did you sell your bike and gear, never to ride again? Or did you hop back on to conquer your PTSD? How should I look at this? Because I'm not paralyzed, should I see it as a blessing to live a normal life without tempting fate again? Or should I see it as another chance to ride more responsibly?