My contradictory life: Balancing nutrition, health with death-defying stunts

Due to the increasing pervasiveness and equal awareness of obesity as a health problem, especially in the U.S., it has become a truism today to inform the public about caring for themselves and their bodies. I’m quite aware of this beneficial trend in fitness, and I’m a firm believer in the idea that “your body’s a temple, and you should worship it.” However, in a quasi-paradoxical fashion, I also believe you should go out into the great unknown and destroy yourself if you must.

How can I hold two dichotomies in my head as ideology, yet still exist without constant ambivalence? Well, it’s simple: I take care of my body with fitness, good nutrition and maintain mental health. When the opportunity arises, I also risk my life to do the things I enjoy.

This risk could be something as simple as cruising around on my skateboard. I use it mostly for transportation, but I can’t get away from the exhilaration of going as fast as I possibly can. Sadly, the best way to go about this is to skate the roads inhabited by cars — an endeavor I was informed by an officer the other day is illegal. Who knew? I’m not an idiot, nor do I want to ruin anyone’s day or anyone’s car, so I don’t always skate in the road. If you understand skateboarding, you’d agree that skating on the sidewalk is, most of the time, more dangerous than skating in the road, so I can’t really avoid it — and about a month or so ago, I was hit by a car.

It wasn’t a big deal though. Albeit I was illegally skating in the road, I was staring at this girl in a car indicating I was going straight ahead, but she didn’t see me and cut me off. I reacted quickly enough to pop my board away from the car, vault over it and land safely with nothing damaged. I still skate down that same hill, around the same cars and have the same risk.

Another risk for my enjoyment is my odd fascination with heights: Climbing things I have absolutely no reason to climb.

Around the end of my senior summer of high school, I decided to climb over a 200-foot crane in my hometown. The crane was situated next to — what is to become — one of the largest skyscrapers in my town. I had already explored the skyscraper-in-construction with a few friends, but one night, for some dumb reason, I was divinely inspired to climb to the top of the crane: A place none of us even considered going. It was indescribable. The wind never stopped blowing. I could see farther than ever before. It was a sunrise I could never experience again.

Of course, in the hour it took me to muster up my courage and procedurally make my way to the utmost top — there were three plateaus — I almost fell off five times. It had rained earlier that same day and the crane wasn’t in the best shape.

I would still go back and do it again.

Maybe you’re not an idiot like me, and your version of risk isn’t so significant. Regardless, never let risk stop you from doing what it is you love. The worst thing in this world is regret. How do you know the risk isn’t worth it unless you go out there and try it? A healthy lifestyle is cool and all, but what’s the point of a healthy body if you don’t use it? Go out into this beautiful world, forget your fears and do what you love.

James Hardison is a UF English sophomore. His column appears on Tuesdays.