The Injury That Led To A Revelation

My name is Christian Iezzi and at age 14 a rather traumatic experience helped me look at my life in a new way. While on vacation with my family in Florida I had an incident in which a slip on a boat caused a debilitating injury to my right leg; my kneecap popped out of its socket. My first reaction upon seeing that my leg was now badly mangled was panic, as I wondered if I would ever be able to walk again. My second reaction was how just seconds ago I was physically able to lead a perfectly normal life. This experience certainly changed me and how felt about life. Before this happened I felt physically impervious to anything and I took everything for granted. Once it hit me that I was unable to complete simple actions like walking down the stairs, that was when I began to view everyday, physical activities in a new light. I realized that I was capable of being physically impaired and I understood that the ability to be in control of your physical self was a gift.

            This shift in the way I thought about my physical abilities now helped me better appreciate all aspects of my life. I comprehended just how quickly life itself could change.  It reminds me of the song by The Eagles, “New York Minute”. As it says: “In a New York minute, everything can change”. This is a true statement as I realize just how quickly I went from being an adroit 14-year old to a physically impaired young man.  It was a truly shocking turn of events and one that would affect me both physically and emotionally. It did serve a greater purpose however, it taught me more about how grateful I should be for the simple things in life. I do believe that things happen for a reason and I believe that I am a better person for my change in perspective. I hope that, in the future, I can have the wisdom to see the truth of things without going through a multitude of experiences.