Tragedy On The Mountain

I've learned that it is not the end result that matters but the experiences that lead us to our destiny. Every time I give classroom presentations and ask the students to pretend they are me when answering this question: If I could go back to the day that I became paralyzed and change what happen, would I? Most students would guess my answer to be"Yes." Then when I tell then my answer is always: No I would not change anything because if I did I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. Each time I could see in some of their eyes that they understood immediately. My sudden transition into the life of a quadriplegic and near death illness has taught me to live for today for tomorrow may not come or it may come, but not as planned. In retrospect, I realize I had a choice to make that would shape the rest of my life. I could have chosen to be angry at the world for what happened to me or not be afraid of dreaming again and working hard to make my dreams become a reality. It is evident that I chose to dream and not be afraid to fail. In so doing, my life story is best summed up as someone who: ACCOMPLISHED A LOT- BUT GAVE MORE. ENDED UP AT A HIGHER PLACE THAN THE PLACE FROM WHICH I FELL.