Friday – 6/26/2015

The month of June got off to an exciting start!

The Cavaliers were in the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history. Although the series did not culminate with the elusive championship the Cleveland faithful have long-awaited, the city certainly rallied around its team. An excitement, the likes of which I’ve never witnessed before, could be felt across the entire region.

Wanting to be a part of it, I made my way downtown for one of the games. To say the energy was palpable wouldn’t do justice to how incredible of an atmosphere it was. Tens of thousands of people all concentrated within a few city blocks, clothed in wine and gold colors and screaming their heads off, made for an exhilarating ambience. Not to mention it also created a challenging obstacle course for a wheelchair. However, as far as I know, no ankles were broken.

Almost just as amazing as the energy was the fact that among the throngs of fans, I ended up bumping into my friend Damian – Father Damian. Of all the priests, in all the masses of people, in all the world, I run into him. A little Divine intervention might have been at play with that one. And even though the Cavs found themselves on the losing end that night,  more than 40,000 folks still behaved and conducted themselves with class. Needless to say, it was an amazing night.

Two days later I ran into Damian again, this time at a planned event. I was back at my grade school, Incarnate Word Academy, with a dozen other former classmates to mark our 25th anniversary since graduating. Everyone celebrated mass together, led by Father Damian of course, and then took a tour of the school before convening at the Local Tavern (that’s actually its name) for dinner, drinks, and lots of storytelling.

It’s always interesting to catch up with people I haven’t seen since my injury. I try to be conscious of the fact that some individuals might still be uncomfortable with the whole situation. Not because I’m in a wheelchair, but because of the fact that I suffered such a catastrophic injury.  I honestly am not sure how I would’ve reacted  had I received a call  that someone  dear to me had just suffered a major accident  that will affect him or her for the rest of his or her life .

Before I broke my neck I had never met, let alone known, anyone who was paralyzed. The closest association I had with paralysis was that of the late actor, Christopher Reeve. He had such a huge presence about him. After all, he was Superman. But he was distant,  and not someone  whose path I’d expect to cross. To bring it down to the level of someone you know, a best friend, a former schoolmate,  a work colleague,  would be surreal to me. Therefore,  I’m always mindful of the fact that it  might be  slightly uncomfortable  for others as well.

Then again, it might not.

Seeing my classmates  for the first time after  a quarter of a century hiatus didn’t feel  as different as I thought it might.  I don’t think it would’ve felt any different if I was walking the stairs with  them instead of riding the elevator. It was just a lot of fun to be around everyone, sharing fond memories from a time that doesn’t seem so long ago.

One of my classmates reminded me of the time the two of us once found ourselves trapped in a walk-in freezer. Instead of panicking, we figured someone would eventually find us, so we popped a squat and proceeded to devour half a box of ice cream sandwiches. [On a side note, we later discovered the freezer was not locked].

A lot of other stories were also shared, most of which are better kept to myself.

I remain busy with most of my time devoted to building the house, but I’ve also been continuing to meet with patients and families at Metro who are getting ready to be discharged. Once a month I spend an afternoon at the hospital helping to address any questions, concerns, anxieties they might have. I’m also participating in a program called “Big Peer, Little Peer” which is similar to the Big Brothers program, it’s just I mentor children and young adults living with a disability.

Of course, I maintain an ongoing speaking schedule as well. In the month of July,  the Americans with Disabilities Act will celebrate its 25th anniversary. An event is planned at Wade Oval in Cleveland,  which  will feature me as the  keynote speaker . If you find yourself in the area, please stop by and say hello.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out the interview I recently did on the Business of Life TV show, you can do so by clicking here.

Finally, the weather has finally started to warm up. Needless to say, when it’s not raining, I spend as much time outside as I can. Whether it’s baking in the sun, listening to music, sitting around a fire, or just enjoying time with others,  I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be outside.

[By the way, if you’re on Spotify, follow one of my playlists entitled Boiled Shrimp. It’s the perfect complement of songs to conjure up scents of salty air, sunscreen, boiled shrimp, smoldering charcoal, and funnel cake. The music is best enjoyed when it’s hot outside  and with a cold beverage in hand.]

Thank you for the continued prayers and support! And Happy Birthday to my amazing sister, Lindsey! I love you!

Stand Strong!

Scott