What Might Have Been...

The following entry is not a "pity party." It is just a thought I had recently that I ran with...

This weekend a thought struck me: What have I missed in the past few months... and what else will I miss?

If there is one moment I wish I could have back, it would be that time when Chandra and I were just about to jump the barrier in Oklahoma City.

I remember it well... I saw it approaching, and thought, "Jump over that barrier and you're almost to the starting line."

I also had another thought, "Is that really safe to hop over?" Well, we all know the answer to that question...

Had I answered that with a, "Hey Turkey... tap the brakes... look around and see what other alternatives there are!" - then my life would have been MUCH different than what it's been...

For starters, I would have run that Half Marathon... the one I had trained for over 4 months to run. My friends and family would have received the text/email messages of my progress, and I would have spent the afternoon celebrating the experience with my everyone.

In May, I was slated to begin a major project at work. This was one I had been anticipating, and I was chomping at the bit to get a crack at it. In my line of work, a "project" is designing a solution to help people do their work more efficiently... typically by creating a few web pages or reports. That assignment went to someone else since I wasn't at work.

Speaking of work, I had planned to resign from my role and work in another group. That had to be delayed until I returned... mid-Summer.

I missed out on several trips. Memorial Day was blown out of the water... as was a 4th of July trip with the family. But one that really frustrated me was a missed opportunity to visit my Fam down in SE Texas. They mean a lot to me... visiting them just melts away all of the stress. That should have happened in June... right at the end of crawfish season! Sigh...

Back to exercise... how can I say this... I miss it. It may sound crazy to some of you, but when you can't do something it drives you bonkers! Don't put off what you can do today! I would have continued my routine at the gym, and spent time running around White Rock Lake at least once a week. That was the plan.

The ongoing plan was to run the White Rock Marathon this December. You see, the added training would have enabled me to do that... and having a goal like that, it helps beyond measure...

Yardwork? Well, let's just say I'm glad I planted everything prior to the accident. But other than that, not much else is going on. I water the plants, but rarely get out and pick the weeds. I've also hired a lawn service... which, as it turns out, isn't such a bad thing. :-)

I've had to turn down invitations that may surprise you: Tickets to the Cowboys game, tickets to U2, and tickets to Baylor. Basically, I don't feel comfortable walking long distances... let alone climbing stairs. I almost fell down the stairs at my parent's house yesterday! That would have been lovely... and they were out of town!

In a few weeks, I'm going on a trip with my friends. It's one of our cabin trips. Instead of canoeing the river, we'll be renting a pontoon boat. Yeah, that's fun... but I really wanted to do the river.

Each fall I chop my own firewood... they say a man that cut's his own wood is warmer in the winter. However, not this year. Gonna have to call someone.

And so on and so forth... I could go on and on. I guess I wanted to share some of these thoughts with you because of this one reason: I know you're interested in how I'm doing. So, sometimes it's a physical thing... and sometimes it's a mental thing. But in the end, I'm doing OK.

Life is much different in this "hinged" condition. There are a lot of things I can't do, but it's not stopping me from living. It's all about making adjustments.

So while I can reflect on the past, I know that my future is hopeful. One year from now, or much sooner if I can help it, these will just be little blips in my adventurous life that I hope to continue to pursue...

At least I know one thing: To listen to that "little voice" in my head from now on!!!