Riding With MoC

My father-in-law ("FIN"), zzg, hates the fact that I ride. The only thing he hates more is that the fact that his own son is an avid rider.

FIN grew up during the depression and his entire way of looking at life has been profoundly informed by that experience. As a consequence, stability and rationality are very important parts of life. He spends and invests his money cautiously. He always stressed to his children the importance of education and a professional career (he tried, unsuccessfully, over the years to convince MHW to enter the school system so that she could obtain a pension, something that he values greatly; MHW has always freelanced because of her desire for flexibility).

My brother in law ("BIL"), FIN's only son, is an extremely successful professional, one of the most successful practitioners of what he does in the entire country. That makes FIN very happy. However, after making aliyah two years ago (he still works in the U.S.), BIL got into off road biking and did the Alyn Bike Ride. This, of course, did not make FIL happy. FIL cannot understand how a grown man can jeopordize everything he has worked for to ride a stupid bicycle (especially off road. Come to ythink of it he has a point). What drove FIL even more nuts was that, having seen the DVD BIL did on his ride, I decided that I had to do it as well (albeit on road rather than off).

Every once in a while FIL reminds me how dumb and dangerous it is to ride and tries to get me to give it up. So, when I had my accident last week I had no intention of telling him about it. But, of course, the word got out and one of the eyewitnesses who goes to FIL's shul told him all about it. (Another reason there should be no talking in shul). I found out that FIL knew and braced myself for the coming mishabeirach.

What happened, though, is classic. BIL made the mistake of calling FIL just after he heard about my accident. FIL gave BIL the mishabeirach and, as with the accident itself, I emerged unscathed! I had an accident and my poor BIL had to endure a five minute rant! You can't make this stuff up.