Set Backs and Oppertunities!

I haven't posted in awhile, the reason being I have been working through some physical problems. Through years of abuse to my body, through various sports endeavors, my shoulder decided it was enough. Torn rotator cuff. Quirky little incident on the mountain bike and it just gave way. Trying to work through it with numerous doctor visits and 2 MRI's have disclosed a pretty significant injury. I tried to train through the pain even doing a 25km time trial in the pouring rain. A moment of enlightenment came to me on the slick roads that morning I realized this is stupid. If I go down here on the pavement I am in big trouble. So I backed way off finished really poorly but safely and hung the time trial bike on the wall. My riding has been next to nil for the past couple of months and it is time to go under the knife.

Oh boy, surgery. It is not the surgery I am concerned about. It is the recovery that is a problem. 4 weeks of immobilization to my right arm. Being self-employed and actually working for a living, 4 weeks is a problem, and a lot of lost production. So I told my wife, this is an opportunity to change some things in my life. The way I work, the way I live and the way I think. By that I mean I don't have to do everything my self. Some changes are in order.

This decision lead me to take stock of my life. When I was 24 I had a major knee injury. I am 48 now major shoulder injury. What could I be looking at in another 24 years at 72? I decided to look a little deeper. From the age of 18 I looked every 6 years, then every 3 years. A pattern seemed to be surfacing that every 3 to 4 years some major life changing event took place. A marriage, the birth of a child, a divorce, death of a parent, injury, economic factors forcing a career change, remarriage, you can see where I am going with this. There are patterns in life, events that challenge us and shape us,make us who we are. Some of these events are under our control some are not. That my friend is where the rub is. If I learn nothing else in life this is the one real truth I have observed in my life as well as the lives of others. It is not the events that shapes our lives as much as how we deal with them. Everyday is a learning experience and filled with oppertunities to be a better stronger person. It's not always about me, usually it's not about me.

Even with the trials and challenges my life holds it is really a great place to be. Filled with friends and loved ones who really matter and care about me, to a great extent because I care about them. I wish for everyone the same because life is what we make it. Wish me luck with my surgery I will be back to update soon.