Thursday – 8/8/2013

“If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn around.” – Jim Rohn

The past couple weeks have kept me very busy, to say the least. Fortunately, I’ve also had the chance to catch up with some former work colleagues, some cousins and other friends (new and old). I also was able to reminisce with some friends at MetroHealth’s annual SCI forum last Friday.

The yearly event is a chance to meet new faces and learn of new developments taking place in the area of SCI awareness and research. As I sat listening to some presentations this year, I found myself particularly reflective of some data that was presented to the group. It basically centered on the mortality rates of individuals living with spinal cord injuries. To make a long story short, the mean age at which I’m to expire is in my mid-50s. Keep in mind, the mean is represented by the same number of people to the left and right of a particular data point. I’d like to think I lean towards the right.

However, I wasn’t bothered or afraid of the fact that I have a 50/50 chance of not being around in 20 years. Rather, I was more moved by the profound realization that life moves fast, not just for me, but for all of us. Sometimes, we are lulled into the idea of thinking we have all the time in the world to accomplish those goals we’ve written down or established in our mind. The fact of the matter is, we don’t know how much time we have, and it is never too soon to start working towards them.

When I was in my teens, I would see my orthodontist every few months. After finding my “care kit” and brushing my teeth in the very public view of the other patients, I would sit in one of the waiting areas and stare at the walls. On one of those walls was a poster of a river winding and carving its way through a canyon. The inscription read, “If you find you’re going in the wrong direction, it’s never too late to make a U-turn.” I was a teenager, too naïve to realize what the “wrong direction” meant, but not too young to fail to grasp the significance of the adage. It’s never too late to make a U-turn.

These days I find myself headed down a road that I never thought I would travel along. However, I am eager to embrace the new opportunities that present themselves as a result of the path I’m on. I can’t do anything about the highway I traverse, but I can do everything about the speed at which I travel, the stops I choose to make along the way and the U-turns I decide to take.

A few days ago I saw an elephant change itself into a dog trying to escape from a blanket it had wrapped itself in. And then, magically, a few moments later that same dog morphed into a Japanese soldier, in full kabuki dress, exhaling its icy breath in a puff large enough to fill the sky. In fact, it did fill the sky. A day later that same sky held the entire state of North Carolina in its grasp as it floated over a jellyfish.

No, I’m not on drugs. Just spent a few days watching the clouds and enjoying the opportunity to do absolutely nothing. In fact, I’m looking forward to spending my time the same way again once the weather permits me to do so. I’ve been very busy these past few weeks, and a few hours cloud gazing provided for a nice, temporary respite. If you haven’t spent some time doing nothing lately, you should. I realize it’s easier said than done, but don’t regret the missed opportunity to enjoy some productively futile moments. You might feel guilty while indulging in pure idleness, but trust me, you’ll feel more pangs of disappointment down the road if you don’t.

So I decided to have a picnic. Well actually, I was invited to a picnic. My neighborhood friends, Marcus, Marcelo and Wissum invited me to a picnic with them, and their mom, Jen.  As I mentioned in my last post, they have become a constant in my daily routine. Every day is filled with several visits from the gang, which is known as the WOMP group, of which I’m a member. They even made me a flag – I’m the “P”.

They have been planning a picnic all week and today was the day. They were kind enough to even ask me if I had any food allergies, to which I responded “no”. Thus, peanut butter and jelly, and Nutella butter sandwiches were served, along with pretzels and fruit snacks. Everything was delicious. And in all honesty, it was an outstanding picnic, as far as picnics go.

Finally, it’s been a fun few days for my Springsteen & I story. I was contacted by Simon, a gentleman from Australia, who came across my Springsteen story online. As it turns out, he moderates a Springsteen fan page in Western Australia. He ended up posting and tweeting my story across various websites and in doing so also made a point to talk about individuals living with spinal cord injuries. In fact, Nils Lofgren, the guitarist in the E. Street Band even re-tweeted my story. And on top of that, Nils is now following me on Twitter! It has been very humbling to read all of the comments people have posted about my story and the effect it has had on them. Even if it didn’t make the film, it is still sobering to know that others have been moved by my journey. Not just for me, but for all of us living with an SCI.

Finally, we are planning a fundraiser in late October. It will be the first real event we’ve had since the immediate months following my injury. More details to follow in the near future.

As always, thank you for all the prayers and support! I am blessed!

Stand Strong!

Scott