Lessons Learned

1. I am not immortal.
2. I can get hurt.
3. I take more than a day to heal.

I'm sure there are more lessons I could write about, but since I am stubborn I have to learn these three over and over. I write them here so that you can keep me accountable.
I would post a recent picture of my newest reason I have learned these lessons once again. However, they might be too graphic. The story, I can tell... BCM leadership retreat to Virginia. There was a huge house with lots of fun things to do. Enter the 4-wheelers... I had never drove one, but didn't figure it was that much difference from a car. I didn't take the terrain into consideration. Cars have roads... paved and flat. 4 wheelers have trails... muddy and anything but flat. One of my students trustingly jumped on the back and I cranked it up. After figuring out how to get it into drive, we headed off into the unknown.

There had to be 200 acres of land. All was good until we took off into the forest. There I found a steep hill, a curve and finally a deep, narrow creek. I gently applied the breaks and quickly realized we were on slick mud. As I eased up on the break I knew this was not going to end good. Every nerve in my body freaked out as I prepared for the worst.

This is the part of the story where I can't seem to remember what happened. All I can tell you is that I remember asking the girl on the back of the 4 wheeler if she was okay. Then, I felt stickers in my head, back and arm. Next, I feel the weight of the machine on my left leg. I proceed to push the thing off of me when I have multiple shots of pain run from my right hip to my knee. Me thinking I am immortal get up and start figuring out how to get this thing out of the muddy creek bed. Only two tires were in, but there was no going forward. We would have to reverse to get it unstuck. Back to the beginning of the story... I don't know how to drive a 4 wheeler. After, attempting to push we admit our weakness and begin to walk back to the house. My leg hurt, but I just thought it was a small bruise. Oh, no. I have experienced horrific bruises before. The most memorable one being when I roller bladed down a half pipe. I made it great the first time, but not so well the second time. I have pictures of it. My newest bruise may not top that one, but it does take up more square feet.

All that taught me that I am not immortal, I can get hurt, and I take more than a day to heal.
I tried to play ultimate frisbee 2 days after the accident... bad decision.