Good bye Dan Wheldon

For those who don't know who Dan Wheldon is:

Wikipedia obituary
"Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon (22 June 1978 - 16 October 2011) was an English racing driver.  He was the 2005 Indy Racing League. IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011.  Wheldon died from injuries shortly after a collision at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 16 October 2011, at the age of 33." www.wikipedia.org

Yesterday....  Yesterday I started watching this very race.  Sometime between the first 5 laps and getting the gutters cleaned a man lost his life.  A 33 year old man with a family.  I watched him win in may and in 2005.  I am glad I did not see his final moments. 

I grew up watching the Indianapolis 500 each year from the age of 5 until his passing with my grandfather.  I have rarely missed an Indy 500 and honestly my dvr helps.

The incident yesterday causes me to pause...  Perhaps even more than when the intimidator passed.  Indy car racing is in my blood.  The sound of those finely tuned engines is unlike all others.  It quickens the heart and makes the senses come alive.  Long before the southern boys showed up on dirt tracks with their shine powered animals.  Long before they began showing up on ESPN and garnering the huge paychecks that most American professional athletes expect these days.  Indy was the diamond of the racing world.

33 years old...   Such a short life...   If you are 10 or 12 that is really old..  If you are over 30 it is a very short life.  So many underrealized dreams and unattempted goals. 

It is a finite life we live.  Make the most of it!!!