Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Man Who Lost His Leg

Yesterday I met a man who had lost his leg in an auto accident.  A small car with a young mother and a child had hit him.  He was driving his truck and he remembers the child's eyes looking up at him when the car hit.  "Eyes so wide."  He said, holding his hands up to his face, making big circles with his fingers and thumb in front of his own eyes.  I asked him if his leg hurt.  He described that mostly it was OK, that when he locked the knee on the artificial leg it was better, and he has to be gentle with it when he jumps down from the truck.  I'm not sure how he drives; it's his right leg.  He expressed appreciation for how the people in his life came together for him when he was hurt, and that he's a cat person.  He said that part of his job is to be responsible with the resources he comes across and to give back to the people he works for and the community.  He spelled my name "Jone".  I don't even care.  You can re-build a house, you can't re-grow a leg.  We all have something to be thankful for.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have the power to change the world through adversity, challenge, acceptance, opinions and asking the right questions. We are scared of that which we don't understand. Instead of staring, just ask. Within this diverse universe lies the appreciation of life in and of itself. We all posses the power to elevate ourselves to a level of understanding that can push us beyond our own boundries and past the ignorance that keep us bound to one anothers problems. Breaking the cycle of misunderstanding happens through asking.

Fran

Anonymous said...

While I'm here, I'd like to recomend a book called After The Darkest Hour by Kathleen Brehony, P.H.D. She writes about the power of blessings in the face of adversity. This book is my bible, and I turn to it when I experience anything that knocks me off my center. It's probably the most valuable thing I own.

Fran W.