Elation

 Not much about Florida today.  I've got a different theme.

I recently heard about the death of John Mayberry, the President of Dofasco at the time of my retirement, from the devastating effects of Parkinson's.  John was a great guy, who rescued Dofasco from the awful financial situation the previous President, Bill Wallace, had created.  He didn't deserve the fate he got.

Then, last night I watched a rerun of the CNN special "Miracle On The Hudson" about Captain Sullenberger (Sully) and his incredible landing of his plane that had been disabled after striking a flock of Canada Geese.

The show examined the psychological effects of PTSD in situations like that.  Some folks went into a lengthy depression, experienced anger, flashbacks, nightmares, social impairment.

But some, according to the psychologist, experienced "elation".  They looked on what they had gone through as a chance at a second life and made changes in their situation to grasp that better life.

Which reminded me of my own experience when I broke my back skiing.  I chose the "conservative" treatment, which meant that I had to lie on my back for six weeks while the pulverized vertebrae pieces knitted with the vertebrae above and below.  During that time you learn to be humble and not embarrassed as the nurses empty your bedpan and wipe your bum and bathe you.

I had a brief moment of depression at the four week mark, when it seemed that my ordeal would never end, but that quickly passed.  One thing that got me through it was due to a special lady, Helen Kenyon, since passed, who worked out a visitation system so that I had a Dofasco visitor every lunch hour and every day after work.  Add family and friends and I had well over a hundred visits during my stay.

And I began to realize and appreciate how much those people meant to me.  So I guess I too experienced the "elation" reaction.  It changed who I was and I look back on the accident as a positive in my life.  Of course I am a strange dude!

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We're getting back together with the ladies tomorrow for games here in our unit, so Florida things will be back in the news then.

Meantime, stay well.