sometimes things just happen...
There are events that while seemingly small and very out of the way have a profound effect on ones outlook on life. We all have such things happen, a particular place at sunset, a fish that represented the culmination of time and acquired skills. Events that for some reason you know will be with you for years to come. Yesterday morning, just such a incident happened to me.
I was sitting in my truck in the bank parking lot arranging my deposit when a rather nondescript white van pulled up a few places down from me. I began to gather my things to go make a deposit when I saw, peripherally, motion to my right. I glanced up in time to see this fellow hit the pavement, nose first. I mean he really came down hard. I jumped up and went to his side. It was then I realized that he had been horrifically burned. I asked him if it would hurt him if I tried to lift him to his feet...he mumbled an inaudible reply. I could see that he could not move his extremities enough to roll over or even push himself to his knees. I told him that I was going to attempt to lift him back on to his feet. It was now that I could fathom the extent of his scarring. His entire face was a series of two maybe three huge skin grafts, he had only ear holes and he had lost all his fingers and thumbs back to the first knuckle. I had to dead lift him to his feet while he tried to center his feet under him so he could stand. In the meantime, three people basically stepped over us to get to the ATM like some dog mess on the sidewalk.
I finally got him to be stable on his feet and picked up his cards, wallet etc that went flying when he fell. I asked him to stay right there as I went to get a towel from my truck to clean the blood off his head and nose. He again tried to say something but the scar tissue would not allow it. I got him cleaned up and I helped him to the ATM machine so he could do his transactions.
Meanwhile, I sat in my truck thinking I would wait and assist him again to his van. It was then I realized to what extent his injuries had affected him. He had no way to break his fall because of the scarring on his arms, elbow and I would imagine his back. He could not move his arms enough to break the fall. His walking consisted of a shuffle of a few inches at a time and any disparity in the pavement would surly mean he was headed for a fall. It appeared he had major burn damage to his entire torso and body… I thought of all the pain associated with this and just cringed. I could not imagine what he had gone through.
He finished and began for what I would imagine he thought was a ten mile hike to his van, twenty feet away. I stepped out of my truck and again held him vertical as we made the journey together. It was then I realized he was dealing with overpowering pain and that every shuffle step was torture. We made it to his van I opened the door while steadying him from falling. He made a good entry into the van. He sat up and I asked if he wanted me to call anyone to come and help, he shook his head as to say no. I then asked if there was anything else I could do, again he shook his head no. I went and sat in my truck.
I waited as he left. It was then things began to come to me that made this encounter clearer and intensely touching. The temptation is to have feelings of pity and sadness for this man, that is the temptation, but if you sit and look at it, this guy, in my world, is a hero, a flat out champion of a man.
I have had health issues over the last several years, as many of you know, but when I sat and thought about what this man had apparently gone through and is now managing, I wept.
The courage and sheer force of will he must maintain daily just to walk, much less drive to the bank by himself, left me in awe. He was going to be independent at any cost.
The issues of the profound and prolonged pain that he has and must be enduring shook me. The fact that I have been fighting my illness for nine years, fought my pains, my fears, all faded into the vapor in the face of seeing what this man’s sprit can and is doing. The encounter made me forget me and in every real sense remember that there are others, many others, that fight the fight...some extraordinarily well. He is an inspiration
Reply With Quote