I cracked a rib this past Sunday.  I was happily snowboarding on a decent surface of snow which suddenly turned into hard-packed bumpy ice.  The mix of shade and sun at this very location didn’t leave me any chance.  My snowboard disappeared from under me and I fell flat on the chest.  Pretty hard.

I made the mistake of playing a squash league match the next evening, which aggravated the injury.  By the end of the match, the simplest twisting motion of my upper body left me with a gripping pain that took a few minutes to recede.

Looking back, it occurred to me that the real reason for my injury is probably…  my iPod.

I usually listen to music when I snowboard but only recently did I realize that when people tell you that snowboarding with headsets on might be hazardous, they are simply missing the point.  What’s really dangerous is anything that protrudes sharply from your body.

Am I going to stop snowboarding while listening to music?  Hell no, it’s just too good.  And the iPod clearly proved that it is up to the task.

But for now, please don’t make me laugh.