Gratitude

I HAVE NO IDEA

Thank God. (And German Engineering) I walked away with an ugly big ole scrape on my big ole forehead.

I have no idea how I survived this.

I hit a trailer truck (without the trailer attached). It launched me and flipped the car.

Landed on the roof. The car on its roof sliding down interstate 85.

THIS IS HOW I DIE!

I’m upside down buckled in my seat.

I literally was thinking “this is how I die …this is how I die”… while I bounce of other cars and keep spinning and sliding…

Then all the sudden the car comes to a stop.

I’m alive. Holy cow. I’m alive. And I can move.

TRAUMA-UNIT RUN

After a few stunned seconds with me still hanging upside down in my seat… I come to my senses.

I unbuckle the seat belt and fall out of the seat. Open the door. And crawl out of the car.

Police, ambulance and firemen are everywhere.

They jump into rescue mode and I’m on the trauma-unit run before I even knew what hit me.

PROBING & SCANNING

They cut my clothes off. IV here. IV there. And then it’s all a blur.

I get to the trauma unit.

Extensive probing and scanning and strange hot liquids coursing through my body (in order to better view my internal organs).

10 hours later I’m cleared. I’m good to go.

I BELIEVE

I walk out like nothing happened. slight concussion. Very sore. And one ugly forehead.

Strangely, I have been very emotional since this happened.

I believe in God. I believe in miraculous things.

I sometimes, even read deep things and discuss these matters with “experts”.

I think about death.

Since I’ve had kids I think too much about dangerous things.

This event is profound in my eyes.

BUSY. BUSY, BUSY

I am always distracted. Busy. Stressed. Rushing here. Rushing there.

Too much dumb shit.

Too much yes. Not enough no.

I will be different after this. This is a transformational moment.

I WILL BE DIFFERENT

Much of the stuff you think is important is likely trivial. Many of the “important” projects mean nothing.

It’s all someone else’s agenda.

I will be different. I was already formulating a strategy to restructure my focus. I’m now exceptionally motivated to get it done.

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Part 2 – THE CAR INVOLVED

GOSHGY BEEKEY

So I was getting my stuff out of the vehicle.. Found this Stuffed animal hanging out the window of my car.

This guy belongs to my 7 year old.

His name is “Goshy Beekey”. I think I will keep him.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Thank you to everyone who gave a shout out after that accident. I am very grateful. I feel lucky to be alive.

I feel like I have a different perspective.

But I know that stuff tends to wear off after some time.

Do I go back to my “frantic, I’m in a hurry, need to save the world” lifestyle in a couple months?

SLOW DOWN

Right now. I can still see and feel the accident.

If I drive. I’m driving slow.

If I schedule meetings. I’m spacing them so I don’t feel rushed and “always running late”.

They are important and high priority meetings. I’m will try to stay in my lane. To “not be all things to all people”…

I have said NO to the 3 future speaking requests I received (since Tuesday’s fiasco).

But … like all good intentions. Does it fade away?

Or… Do life changing events really exist?

COMPLETE CLUSTER

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to slow down and focus my efforts for at least 3 years now.

A concerted, conscious, effort. And I have made minimal progress.

Its common. I leave Greenville to drive home to change so I can go to a dinner meeting that night.

In between, I facilitate 2 zoom meetings and make as many calls as possible to FAVOR donors to say thank you.

Throw in personal, family worries and concerns and my mind is a complete cluster….

My mind is cluttered. My thoughts “elsewhere”. My presence scattered.

NOT TODAY!

I am not that way today.

In the aftermath of this accident. But… will it all come back in a day, a week, a couple months.

My default setting is “more”.

Do “permanently” life changing events exist? Probably. Yes.

But we have to do things to maintain the change.

Thank you. And thank God. Seriously.

Part 3 – WHAT IS A GOSHY BEEKEY?

Okay. It turns out that there were 2 GOSHY BEEKY in my car on the day of the accident.

GOSH BEEKY is not a name. It is, apparently, a species. So you have GOSHY BEEKY #1. And GOSHY BEEKY #2.

As you can see #1 is suffering a serious injury. An amputated foot.

#1 was the GOSHY BEEKY that was stuck in the window.

#2 was found under the seat during final the clean out.

My daughter Lizz Marie Jones has assured me she can perform elective surgery and re-attached #1’s foot.

BTW: The plural of GOSHY BEEKY is GOSHY BEEKY not “Goshy Beekies”. Just for situational awareness.

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