3 Lessons of Thanksgiving

Photo by Mikael Colville-Andersen

For Americans, November is a traditional time of Thanksgiving.  I have much to personally give thanks for after a rather eventful October: Surviving Hurricane Matthew with minimal damage to my home, and coming through a nasty bicycle accident without serious physical consequences.  Plus, I’d like to share a few thoughts on three lessons learned from these experiences, not the least of which is gratitude for good fortune!

First, Hurricane Matthew: My husband and I decided to ride out Hurricane Matthew from our home on Molasses Creek despite our governor’s evacuation order. Part of that decision was the difficulty of packing up three ornery cats for travel.  For several days, we were glued to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radar forecast updates every 3 hours. We put up our hurricane shutters, filled the bathtub, cooking pots and assorted bottles with water, then made sure the generator was in working condition.

We also packed bags “just in case” to leave early Friday AM if it looked like the hurricane was coming ashore as Category 4 or 5.  Luckily, by the time the edge of the eye passed over us, it was only a Category 1. You can’t be any lower than that and still rate hurricane status. We were so grateful to find we’d only lost two wax myrtle trees, despite all the yard debris. Though lucky ourselves, we mourn for other places where lives were lost.  As it was, we only lost time and power for less than one day.

Second, bike wreck: Once all was back to normal post-Hurricane, I was able to return to my regular schedule, which includes time to exercise.  My usual ways are walking, yoga, dance, weight training and biking on different days of the week to use different muscle sets.  On a late Wednesday afternoon between two meetings, I tried to sneak in a short 15-minute bike ride around my neighborhood.  I did not take my normal precautions of wearing a helmet or using my fanny pack for cellphone and identification.    

So, less than 4 blocks from home, I think I hit a stick in all the yard debris bedecking the side streets. At any rate, my bicycle stopped completely, and I continued to move, sailing over the handlebars and hitting the pavement. In that moment when you know something terrible is about to happen, I was able to just barely recognize that if I did not change my trajectory, I was going to land on the top of my skull.  Not a great thought.  I managed to twist my body just enough to hit my left shoulder on the ground first, followed by the left side of my face.  

I sat on the ground, stunned, and tried to figure out what happened.  No one apparently witnessed the event in the nearby houses, except to a small black dog, barking and rushing toward me, in a warning display of “get out of my territory now.”  Once I shooed the dog away, I picked up my bike and the headlight that had broken off, and limped my way home to an ice pack.  Despite immediate chilling, I developed an astonishing black eye and an incredible array of bruises all across my body.

After this incident, I was assailed by other stories of people of at least six people I knew that had also recently been in bicycle accidents.  None, fortunately, was fatal (though one did involve significant broken bones) and most did not even involve automobiles.  

Let’s just say there are a lot of hazards on the road.  In my case, I was lucky to suffer no broken bones, required no stitches, have no concussion, and only a modest amount of skin abrasion. I must say the bruises, especially the black eye, have been amazingly colorful.

So, to my lessons learned:

Lesson 1: It is essential to be prepared.  Not just for hurricanes, which are an extreme example, but for all manner of other things in life, from bicycling to class preparation to bigger events. Preparation lessens anxiety and allows time to consider additional options or ideas. Not to mention can literally protect you from harm.

Lesson 2: Exercise is useful. This is despite my younger daughter’s remark, “Are you sure people of your generation should be doing so much exercising?” The fact remains that if I wasn’t doing all the other exercises I engage in, my reflexes would have been considerably poorer, my muscles and bones weaker, and quite possibly my brain would not have processed what was happening as quickly.  Not to mention the ability to quickly scan my body and take stock of the damage.  Body scans aren’t just for figuring out what’s happening with our emotions.

Lesson 3: Gratitude takes many forms. Of course I gave thanks for my survival for both October surprises. Initially, the bike crash felt like a “why me?” negative, but on later reflection, it was a wake-up call. I got yelled at by my husband for not wearing a helmet because he was worried about me—and I also got to remember how lucky I was to have a kind and generous husband who would never beat me up. And who caught a lot of humorous flak from friends for my black eye.  

All in all, despite the unusual events over the past month, I am happy to be here still. And to give thanks for my good luck and humility for the lessons learned.  I know this will help me to remember all those less fortunate than I as we move through the month of November. I hope you can say the same.

 

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