By Marc Lewis

 

Lessons from a stag weekend

 

 

I went on a stag weekend recently, which started on Saturday morning at a place called the Ian Wright Organisation. If it had anything to do with the Arsenal and Palace legend, he was keeping a very low profile.

 

First we went out on quad-bikes, which was great fun. But no dots collected.

 

Then we took it in turns to throw a rally car around a field.

 

I am not much into speed and not very good with a steering wheel, so I was resigned to coming last in the time trials.

 

 

But here is what happened.

 

Some of my friends had the skills and confidence to throw the car around corners, spin out, brake hard. Some had the confidence but not the skills.

 

I had neither.

 

 

We had instructors sitting next to us, changing gear for us and shouting advice.  Mine kept asking me if I was trying to park, I was going that slow.

 

But I came third.

 

 

Two people beat me.  They really went for it, and had the talent to back up their bravery.

 

Seven got worse times, even though they tried to go faster.

 

 

If third place is a respectable position, then slow and steady delivers results.

 

I wasn’t spectacular, but I wasn’t a spectacular failure.

 

 

Most of the accidents at the Ian Wright Organisation happen on the quad-bikes.  That’s where limbs are lost.  Unlike the quad-bikes, rally cars are almost impossible to flip and there were no trees to hit.

 

 

So it was safe to push the gas, even if it meant spinning out of control.

 

I never pushed myself, even though it was safe to do so.

 

So I will never know if I could have come second.

 

I thought I was happy with third place.