You never know!

These words are often found marching with ill informed confidence from my mother-in-laws mouth and can apply to absolutely anything of which she's not sure. They are however, entirely accurate for the events of my Tuesday ride home.

I was 3 or 4 minutes from home on my bike - which incidentally, has a 600cc engine in it - when a chap in a car, sat in traffic, decided to turn right at the last minute and very kindly collected me and my machine and dumped me on the wrong side of the road in the path of an oncoming car which, thankfully, stopped before dumping me elsewhere!

A cut hand (where I smashed his wing mirror off), and a badly bruised shoulder, neck and noggin (thank heavens for crash helmets), put paid to any idea of normality for that evening. Things were made a little easier by the fact that the guy never stopped apologising, repeating that he had "only watched that advert about looking twice for bikes last night", even though the message didn't appear to have sunken in properly - one in the eye for all you advertising people out there!!

The bottom line though? I picked myself up and walked away from what could have been a very different outcome. Not so lucky for my bike though which may be written off according to my insurers. I reckon conversations will be taking place between M and myself about my next mode of transportation for my daily commute. For some reason, she's lost confidence in motorbikes - can't imagine why!

As the recovery truck guy was wheeling my broken bike off his ramp, M, missy and poops were walking down the street towards me - M looked very relieved to see I was ok. J looked concerned however, pointing out that my bike had "lots of scratches" on it! When I returned from the Accident & Emergency department after getting stitched up and checked over, M and I had a hug. A big hug, a proper "thank God you're ok, what might have been" type of hug.

So if you disagree with your wife or husband, boyf/girlf, son/daughter about something before you leave the house next week, make up before you go. If you've argued in the evening and you know you'll be out of the house before they wake in the morning, sort things out before you go to bed.

I wonder how many loved ones of victims of the July bombings last year parted on less than great terms? I wonder if any of them will regret missing their chance to make up for the rest of their lives? Hopefully none.


But you know what?

You never know.