A helmet is more than an accessory, but a vital part of your safety when riding. Unless you are single (sans spouse girl or boyfriend), with no living family members, have no one or ones that you are responsible for -- spouse, children, etc ... than you are robbing them of you if you are killed due to a helmet related injury, or robbing somone else of their normal life by makeing them an accidental caretaker for you if you have life altering (paralyzed, bound to a wheelchair, traumatic brain injuries, or more) injury.
I know there's the joy of having the wind on you face and everything, and it's all romantic, but seriously, it's just bullsh**. Riding is a dangerous activity, even with a full face helmet, but the job of the rider is to constantly manage the factors that can lead to a crash, or to minimize their injuries as much as possible.
Regret sucks, especially in those moments of a crash when you wish you were more protected, or en the days, weeks, or years afterwards, when the face in the mirror is permanently deformed and is NOT the you you once knew.
The pavement is a harsh teacher.
-Wolf
