Bad Decisions

In recent years I have felt my decision making skills to be in a shameful spiral of decline; I firstly chose to study English at uni, and then chose Bournemouth as the place to study it. These two have thrown me into the clutches where I currently reside and contently complain about these decisions.

Today, though, saw me making a series of poor decisions that won’t affect my life in such a drastic way, but have really rammed home that I am useless at picking out the right path (in this case, literally).

This recent heat wave tempted me to leave the safety of my slug, damp and rodent infested home (although this morning this sight greeted me, so the rodent problem could be sorted, for now.)

This beckoning from the Sun sent me towards Turbary Common, along with my bike and a large bag. I was having a lovely time; cycling along paths, taking tiny jumps and feeling like a man for doing them, and taking little detours through thickets to add some interest to my ride.

Bad decision number 1.

Trying to nip under low braches on a very high-set bike with a large bag on your back only leads to constant snagging and the need to stop, untangle oneself and getting scratched several times by the vicious heath land plants before remounting and continuing towards the next precariously placed tree limb.

Going along one of these pseudo-paths lead me to an opening into a housing estate and, inevitably, home. I wasn’t ready to go home and I saw no reason to turn back. So I continued onwards on, what was most probably, an animal track; forcing my oversized road bike along with me, my bare legs taking the brunt of the damage from the surround flora.

Bad decision number 2.

Whilst ploughing on through the undergrowth, the ground beneath my feet begun to take on a distinctly spongy form, so it became necessary to hop between small clumps of grass as they quickly became the only solid ground I could rely on. I continued forward in my naivety, assuming that this path must meet up with a larger one at some point soon.

Bad decision number 3.

I was quickly left in the following situation after my reliance on the grassy islands failed me.

After standing here for a good 15 minutes, taking in the Sun, I thought it about time to make a move. Going back would surely not be the right move, as that's where I had the accident, plus it wouldn't give me more thing to explore? Correct. Onwards I went.

I hatched a dasterdly plan to resolve this monumental problem, though.

My phone then got very low on memory so the videos had to stop. I was left with about 4 photographs worth of memory to document the rest of my ordeal.

Upon gaining relatively sturdy purchase the other side and retrieving my bike from the tangle of brambles it somhow found itself, I was almost home and dry - well apart from my right foot - and it was just a small amount more clambering through bushes with my ungainly bicycle until I was free. My path did take me past this rather attractive pool of stagnant water, though.

I finally found my way out and came home certain in the knowledge that decisions, in future, should not be made by me as things like this are all too likely to happen again.