From the untimely death of Paul Walker, to the life-or-death battle that MMA fighter Shane Del Rosario is going through right now, the world just seems to be full of twists and turns.  And all we can do is keep moving forward.

While many people are quick to dismiss Paul Walker as “just another hack celebrity”, for us gearheads, Paul really embraced automotive culture, especially the Nissan Skyline.  He really was a gearhead, and he cared about sharks.  As a teenager that just got his license when Fast and the Furious came out, I sorta identified with the guy.  Except the part where I was white and handsome.  I grew with the movies, and to hear about his fiery death saddened me.  I felt like I lost a part of me.

Shane Del Rosario’s battle is far from over, but there are some signs of hope.  Following his massive cardiovascular collapse and resuscitation by teammate Ian McCall, his brain is showing signs of activity Turns out that one of my coaches knows Shane on a personal level, so it really hit home.  Plus the fact that he’s actually YOUNGER than me…well, that’s the two of the one-two punch.

Then it hit me.  Both the automotive tuner world and the MMA realm are fraught with danger and bodily harm.  Is it enough to dissuade me from stopping either activity?

Probably not.  I’d rather not live my life in fear.