SPORTS 'N SPOKES

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Searching for information about "wild" times such as hunting and fishing? You can forge a new path to the great outdoors without ever getting dirty.

What’s my story? Everybody has one, so why not me?

“What happened?” I wonder how many times I’ve fielded that question! In line at the grocery store, hanging out with friends at the mall, in a crowded room full of people I just met—well, you get the picture. And what a simple question, too; one I really don’t mind answering.

In 1986, I dove into a pool, hit the bottom, and broke my neck right around C6–7. I knew right away what had happened and what it meant, so it was never difficult for me to accept. I was more shocked it happened to me when I was 17 and ten feet tall and invincible.

I also knew right off I wasn’t ready for my life to be over just yet. Lucky for me, I had a lot of family and friends who felt the same way. And, for a while, all I had to hold on to was the hope  it wouldn’t be.

There were just some things I wasn’t going to give up no matter what got in the way. Anyone who has lived any length of time with a spinal-cord injury (SCI) can tell you there’s a lot more to it than just the “no walking.” So much so that there’s no way you can explain it to any­one who hasn’t walked it (so to speak). It’s no trip through the park. But it’s not the end of the world, either.

What happened? I used to say that to myself a lot when I first got hurt. Actually, it was more like, I can’t believe it really happened. Especially during that first year. That’s the worst one to live through, because you’re still thinking like an able-bodied person and living in a disabled body.

“How long does it take to adjust?” you might ask. Well, I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

The best piece of advice I can give to anyone new to SCI is, “Get out and go!” Go do stuff! It doesn’t matter what, doesn’t matter where, just get your butt out and back into the world. If you are a friend or family member of someone who is recently disabled, help him or her do this.

Second, figure out what it is really important to you and how to do it. When I got hurt, I knew full well I would have to give up some of the things I used to do. That comes with the territory. But not what was at the top of my list. And there were things out there I hadn’t even thought of doing until years later.

Keep an open mind. Victor Frankl said the last freedom anyone has is to choose their attitude in any given situation. Sure, I’ve come across a few obstacles since that hot afternoon in July 1986, but I’ve also found there are many different ways to get around them. It doesn’t matter what other people say—doctors, parents, friends, idiots on the street—there’s always a better way of doing something. Find it!

“What happened?” Well, quite frankly, a lot has happened. If you are new to SCI, you’ll see. If I could give you one thing, it would be to know there is life afterward.

As I said before, this trip isn’t easy, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Some won’t make it, some will exist only because they have to, and some will succeed.


Check out the complete article in the March 2010 S’NS.

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