Spring break is now in session. Until two days ago I had planned at this very moment to be driving down to Bishop to meet up with some buddies to go climbing. That was two days ago. Now instead of climbing, rafting and skiing over break I am going to be seeing doctors and hopefully scheduling a surgery.
Wednesday afternoon Renee and I were embracing the warmth of the sunshine while spending an afternoon of climbing at Grizzly Dome. It is amazing how fast things change; one moment I was at the crux of the route and about to pull through, then the next moment I saw the bones in my shoulder make an unnatural shift as I simultaneously peeled off the rock. I looked down at Renee and yelled, "lower me quick.... it's out!!"
Like good little W-EMTs, we had my shoulder back in the socket in minutes. (we actually had to put it back in twice that day, since it popped out again as I scrambled up the talus slope to the car.) That was the simple part. Since the end of last summer my shoulder had now come out four times total. My eyes began to well up with tears, not from pain, but from the realization that I had been in denial about the condition of my shoulder. I had suffered from over optimism, thinking that my body could through proper rehab repair and heal itself without requiring surgery. Now surgery is inevitable.
With much daylight still remaining we were in no hurry to go home. We perched on some rocks along Grizzly Creek, talking and munching on pistachios. The river guide in Renee emerged as she managed to find ways to make me laugh.
With much daylight still remaining we were in no hurry to go home. We perched on some rocks along Grizzly Creek, talking and munching on pistachios. The river guide in Renee emerged as she managed to find ways to make me laugh.
By no means am I happy about my current situation, but I take comfort in knowing that God had this planned and that He is going to work through this. I physically will not be able to guide on the river as I had planned for this summer, but it is looking like I will be able to return to a former job in Sequoia National Park.
I am trying to not dwell on all the things I won't be able to do for the next 7 months, rather I am attempting to shift my thoughts to all the things that I will have time to do now. It is exciting to think that this summer I should be able to scratch off a few things that have been on my list for a while, like
I am trying to not dwell on all the things I won't be able to do for the next 7 months, rather I am attempting to shift my thoughts to all the things that I will have time to do now. It is exciting to think that this summer I should be able to scratch off a few things that have been on my list for a while, like
- Picking up the ukulele
- Learning to yodel
- Knocking out a few sewing projects
- Training for and running a marathon (I wanted to run a short ultra-marathon, but Renee talked me down from 50 mi. to 26 mi.)
- Hiking from Mineral King to Mt. Whitney in 3 days or less
- Mastering the art of making sourdough bread
....the list continues.
 | ||||
| Our first daffodil blooms of the year- Spring is here! |
________
Take a lesson from the sun
Respect your stomach
Express your appreciation
Avoid ragged edges
Make happiness a habit
Walk past failure
Who says you can't?
Tiny Tim
________
