Bruises, bumps and bandages were like badges of honor, and I couldn't wait to display mine on my trusty Schwinn Sting-Ray.

I can't remember the first time I saw him jump, or whether he was successful or not. He became my hero, however, when I saw the footage from his attempt at jumping the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. It was a horrific crash, and as his body tumbled, it was obvious he had broken his legs. They just weren't supposed to bend like that.

The thing saw on Wide World of Sports became an absolute obsession: Evel Knievel. He made such a strong impact on me, that it would be an injustice to give him such brief attention. He will be the focus of an upcoming post. I can sum it up this way: some called him courageous, some called him an idiot; all questioned his sanity. I called him hero.

Thanksgiving is met with fear every year, especially for those of us who have to face the recurring nudges of a Jewish family like "move your hair away from your face" or "you're not eating enough in New York."