Last week, I drove a car for the first time in about a year, to Texas and back, no less.
While this is probably not a big deal for you, to me, this was a huge achievement. To be behind the wheel of a rented Kia Soul, heading to San Antone and back by myself—more on that in future ramblings—it was something doctors, family, friends, and, honestly, even I, never thought I’d ever be able to do; Hell, I was sure I’d never be able to walk without a walker again, let alone drive a two-ton killing machine…but here we are.
Each day, I get better, I get stronger, and I get faster…ish. And for much of that, I owe a debt of gratitude to the Lost Ogle readers for the gift of their donations, prayers and kind words that not only inspired me, but allowed me to recuperate and, even more so, allowed me to heal the best way I know how—through somewhat comedic writing—without worrying too much about the everyday minutiae that makes life so hard for so many of us.
And here it is, the holiday season, and here I am, lifting this foul cherry chia kombucha to one more new year…never thought I’d make it this far.
Forever grateful for the nurses I had during my stay, a few, from my various hospitals and rehab center visits, I still follow on social media—believe it or not, the Lost Ogle is quite popular in the nursing community. A week or so ago, one of them posted a GoFundMe page for a fellow RN who recently had a beautiful baby boy named DJ, that was sadly born with a very rare skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa.
With only 20 out of a million people suffering from this malady each year, it makes the skin more than paper-thin, causing the newborn to blister and bleed with the slightest touch. I am grateful—as we all should be—that we will never know the horrific pain this child will endure and the sadness the mother must feel, unable to hold her child.
I don’t know this woman, and I don’t know her baby. But thinking back on my own struggles with hospital bills and all the upkeep required afterwards, it can be such a burden hanging over a person, especially at a time when money is definitely the last thing they should be thinking of. So this holiday season, no matter what you celebrate or don’t celebrate, if you could give a couple of bucks to DJ and his family—the way you did for me—we can make a minor miracle happen for them too.
And whether it’s this or someone else you help out, really, that’s all that matters; it’s not the junk we buy, or the dinner we eat, or the trees we’re just gonna throw out tomorrow—but how we decide we’re going to be towards our fellow humans. When our heavenly room is ready and we finally check in for the rest of eternity, let what people remember about you here is how you attempted to change the world, to the best of your abilities, one person at a time.
Happy holidays, and I’ll see you on the other side of 2018. Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis on Twitter at @LouisFowler and Instagram at @louisfowler78.
