A Different Way of Seeing Things

I take a lot of things for granted. Most people do. I am, generally speaking, a healthy person (I’ll come back to this part). I have a job, a house, a great family, good friends, and I am able to do things I enjoy. One of those things is playing hockey.

Now, let’s get something straight about my playing right from the start, I’m not a great hockey player. I try hard, because I want to be an example to my kids. This does not always lead to success. Also a good example for my kids. The thing is, I enjoy playing. I only started skating about 6 years ago. I did this because my son wanted to learn. Turns out he’s really good at it. This, I have no doubt, is my wife’s fault. [more]No, she doesn’t skate, but if she did she’d probably surprise us all with her mad hockey skillz. Yes, with a Z.

As I was saying, I enjoy playing in my Men’s Over 30 C hockey league. I’ve gotten better every year I’ve played, and now feel like I contribute to the success of the team more than I do to our failures. However, hockey is a rough sport. Sometimes people get hurt. During Sunday’s game I took a slapshot off my right foot. It hurt a little during the game, but this is hockey not soccer. I wasn’t going to roll around on the ice hoping the ref gave the guy a red card. After the game I took off my gear and hobbled home.

Yesterday, my foot swollen and bruised, I went to the doctor. He suggested we wait a few days before doing an X-ray, advising me to stay off it until Thursday. This didn’t seem too bad to me at the time, but as I said at the top, I tend to take things for granted.

I spent the day today on crutches. For those of you who’ve never had the pleasure, let me tell you, it sucks. Try to carry a coffee from your car into work. That computer bag that you so easily carry at your side, what hand do you hold it in? Need to bring a file to someone down the hall? You can’t just jump up and wander it over. These are things I don’t usually think about much. But now I am.

And then I started thinking about all the people who’s lives have been irrevocably changed by an injury. The local girl who was injured while riding her bike. The two boys who were hurt in a recent car accident. The survivors of disasters. People all around us who’s lives are permanently altered every day.

I’m lucky. I’m going to be fully healed in the not to distant future. I want to stop taking as much for granted. Hopefully you will too.