The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, I particularly like the version that features Wyclif (I think) and its some good words of advice. I've noticed over the years that a lot of folks who paddle tend to push the limits without keeping their future in mind. I know that its true with me anyways, often times I'm only thinking of the next rapid or the next run so I'll just push things out of my mind. While this has served me well and for the most part keeps my life in perspective there are times when it doesn't work. I've recently come face to face with one of those times. For the last year and a half or so I've had this sharp sort of shooting pain in my hip. At first I did what I always do: kept paddling and assumed that I could heal up without really changing anything. After all that's always worked for me in the past. When that didn't work I just ignored it, I mean it wasn't like it was really slowing me down that much. Now I did take some time off at the beginning of this year, but that was only after I couldn't get out of the car while working a trip in Mexico. Still I didn't feel like I needed to go to the doctor or anything. While the time off helped I still had the pain in the my hip but hey spring's starting and summer's right around the corner so I've got no time now (translation don't worry about it). Well by the end of the summer this dim light begin to shine in the back of my head that it might not be very normal to feel like this for so long. About a month ago I finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a bulging disc in L4 or L5.