Dr King's C

[Guest]

Sometime last week, I read somewhere that, at one point during his schooling, Dr. Martin Luther King received a "C" grade for a "Public Speaking" class. That was very interesting to me, considering all of the public speaking he did throughout his lifetime.

This underscored, as the article pointed out, the idea that we should always persevere ... and never give up. For me, it also highlighted the idea that we should never take life for granted.

I'd love to be able to report that I always persevere ... and never take anything for granted, but I can't. As much as I've learned the importance of persevering and living life to the fullest through my own personal experiences, sometimes its "tidbits" like this that serve to remind me just a little bit more.

So, what has inspired you with regard to persevering and not taking life for granted?



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
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"Never settle for the path of least resistance" ... Lee Ann Womack ... 'I Hope You Dance'

 

[debster913]

My surgery and going through all I did after the fact (read some of my old posts and you'll get the picture).

But even before that, I tried not to take life for granted because my mom would always remind me any time I got down on myself, "You know, Deb, you almost didn't have a life to begin with." I'd almost died after I was born from a heart attack and the resulting complications afterward. However, after speaking with my pediatric cardio recently, I learned that I didn't really have a heart attack, but rather that I was born with a weak heart. It's just easier, though, when people ask me about my right-sided weakness, to tell them about the heart attack. It's just too hard to explain, "Well, I was hypoxic at birth from blah, blah, blah...". Besides, there were more than a few doctors who thought my quality of life would be forever marred by my "heart attack." They said I'd have a severe speech impediment, be retarded, have a severe limp, and die before I was five, all of which never happened, obviously. One doctor, when I was three years old and always turned over my right foot as I stood, wanted to cut my Achilles tendon in my right foot, take a bone from my hip to "sturdy" my foot, and put me in a leg brace because he claimed I'd never be able to walk correctly or run anyway. My mother said, "Hell, no," never took me back to that doctor...and oh, yeah, I ran track in high school. (OK, for one year until my pediatric cardio made me quit). And thank heavens for my mother!

Regardless, any time I feel down on myself, I try to remember that I almost didn't make it three days, and here I am almost 32 years later.

Another thing is I sometimes have bad days at work. Maybe it's because I have a difficult conference with a parent, a student is being rude, or a class is just misbehaving and I'm at my wit's end. I go home and take out a large box I have that has all kinds of positive letters and notes from students over the years, and it reminds me to just keep going. I love my job, but like anyone else, there are days when I just want to throw my hands in the air and say, why on earth did I decide to teach??

I really think we just have to find the power within ourselves not to give up when everyone else already has, or it seems that we should.

Debi

 

[Guest]

But even before that, I tried not to take life for granted because my mom would always remind me any time I got down on myself, "You know, Deb, you almost didn't have a life to begin with."

*raises eyebrow*

You know ... I never really thought of it that way. And, as far as I can remember, my parents never brought that to my attention ... even during my "darkest days" when my "evil twin" was prancing around. But, you do bring up a good point. So many of us that have had these issues from birth ... well ... would not have been here without the expertise and technology that we were lucky to have.

I go home and take out a large box I have that has all kinds of positive letters and notes from students over the years, and it reminds me to just keep going

*chuckles*

I'll do something similar sometimes. When my sister Emailed people after my 2003 surgery (I posted a clip from the first Email she sent in my 2007-3-20-30 post), the amount of Email she got in reply was just way overwhelming. She literally spent HOURS printing those Emails. So, every now'n'then, especially when I haven't heard from friends in a long time ... or a post of mine goes somewhat "unnoticed" ... I'll dig those out to read .



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"It's a freedom that we all want to know" ... Restless Heart ... 'Wheels'