Pride/Humility

Not a story I would normally share, but worth the humility for the lesson it taught. The story starts off as a normal day when (I need some little ones to help put some color in this story) I decided to venture to the garden to reap my toils. As pride has it, boy this garden looks good, and over the fence I go. Picking the choice goods and back over the fence, except this time, left foot out first. Even as I did it I thought; not a good idea, but no problem, except when I went to lift the right leg over the fence, now a problem. Pant leg caught on the fence and as the world moved up to meet me, or was it me moving down, I remember the adjusting thought of how exactly was I going to land. The sound my shoulder made on impact suggested that my previous decision was not a good one. Doctor visit, Xray, Doctor visit, and how about some therapy. Ok I can handle that, does that include golf, I think you know the answer to that.

Well, first to the computer for some research, shoulder therapy, ah yes, I will get a jump on things. A week goes by and the phone call comes in to schedule my therapy. Set up with a nice young lady, Jill, who is new to the field but very good. She did all the checks then came the time for the exercises. As she dished them out I informed her I have been doing all of them already. She was good with that and made a couple suggestions on the procedures.

After a couple weeks working with me I decided that I was done. Jill asked me how I was doing and then had me do some of the exercises. Naturally I did more, longer and harder that she asked for. She suggested I take it easy as it was not a good idea to go overboard on these exercises. I informed her that I did not have much patients for inabilities and she laughed and said that she could see that. From that point on she took me through several different exercises and did her own pushing. When we got done she said I will see you in a couple days and I said lets stretch it out. We came to an agreement of ten days with the understanding that if I was having any trouble I was to call and come it, (that aint going to happen).

Now to the meat of this blog. My ten days passed but not without their problems. For the first few days I could hardly move my shoulder and I did not exercise it because it was so tender. After a few, I can't believe I am taking pain pills, I knew I had to start exercising before I had to go back. My arrival was greeted by Jill's friendly question of how I was doing. I smiled at her and said not bad but a little sore. She smiled, and I asked her if she was trying to teach me a lesson, again a smile. I told her she really worked me over on the past visit and I was really sore, again only a smile. I guess I know who is in control here. She worked with me and I backed way off. She asked me how I was doing and I told her I wasn't going to tell her, after what she did to me last week, I had learned my lesson. She responded with her normal smile and suggested some exercise along with the comment not to overdo it.

I left that day with a different outlook; a respect for her and what she was doing and a more humble look at me and how I should be doing it. So the saying goes; never to old to learn, and I add never to young to teach it.

Summer Travel

On our way across Iowa to the middle of the state to a small town of Boone Iowa there is a slight side trip to Williamsburg Iowa along the way. Unlike the long ago past which placed the car in the ditch and the two of us in the hospital, this one only put my checkbook in the ditch and my bank account in the hospital. All in all there were some good buys and lots of "how does this look" that need to be answered.
On our arrival at Boone we were greeted by the local police, I am sure that is why they were sitting at the side of the road. We pasted a stock car race and went up and down the main street searching for a motel, church, and the train station. What we found was the motel was full and every time we crossed the tracks we had to wait for a train. I have never seen so many trains in one day, it must have been every half hour that one went through that town. The motel search took us around the countryside, corn, beans, old farm house, old cities, wait, I think we are running out of gas. My co-pilot is somewhat laughing although it is getting darker and darker and she worried that something is going to happen and we will be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. Ah yes a hundred miles later and we are back in Ames which I was informed was only about fifteen miles from were we started, no comment.
The adventure was great, the train ride memorable, the weekend delightful, even the nine holes of golf in Marshalltown, of which someone beat me on the last two holes.
Final words, take time to enjoy Gods creation, take time to enjoy your spouse, take time to just take time. If there is only one thing I received from my visit to the homebound and care facilities is everyone I have spoken to have said the same thing, take time, life is too short to waist it. I am blessed to know the things I know and am more blessed to be able do the things I do with the one that God has blessed me with as I becomes U, sharing our life and love together, it is worth working for, it is worth waiting for. I pray you all get to experience it.