I'd like to hear from contributors to this forum
about any particular incident that occurred in
their lives that had an impact on them - and made them
see things more clearly.

Things have been put into perspective for me since
my bad fall in September. I've spent the past 12 and a
half weeks in hospitals. It's been a long haul. I am
now in re-hab. The healing is going very slowly.
However, it's been quite an education. When I was tempted
to feel sorry for myself - I noticed in physio
sessions people who were amputees, not giving up. Which made me
realise "Get a grip" there are people much worse off than me.

And, much as we complain about our health services. They
in reality are excellent - and we should be grateful.
We are lucky in this country.

Before I forget - May the love and
blessing, happiness too
of Christmas be yours
the whole year through.

All The Best.

Foxy,a merry Christmas and goodwill to all is my wish for you, we strive to find our differences even though they are few. Friendship love and journey safe are the gifts that we all seek, but it’s only in the giving that we will harvest this relief.............best wishes Paul.

Dear Foxy, thank you for the words of encouragement that your situation has realized. Measured activity is the best healer in physical trauma such as yours. Your observations mirror my experience except I had to be forcefully told.

When I was 18 I had a terrible motor bike accident. Many operations on my leg found me down and forlorn. With my leg still in plaster 12 months on, I climbed on the back of a friend’s bike and a car hit us at speed on the plastered leg. This meant several further rounds of surgery and on my 21st birthday I had nothing except a permanent disability to look forward to. I did not want to celebrate my 21st but a friend’s family took me out to dinner and after some drinks I was rolling in self pity. The mum of the family drove me home and told me that life in whatever form is better than the alternative, and only when the alternative looms does our expectations of what is acceptable drop from the perfect to the acceptable. She told me of the adage “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met the man who had no feet”. Her message was forcefully put and luckily my adolescent mind came to a realization. I didn’t like the realization, but I accepted the facts of the matter for the first time.

With a great deal of work I was able to walk again some year’s later.......good luck my friend.

Hi Foxy, good to hear from you again. I'd been wondering about your absence, & had missed any post about it. Glad to hear you're on the mend, if slowly.

It was seeing how isolated islander communities in the Pacific islands live that did it for me. With less than a couple of hundred people on an atoll, or a small high island, hundreds of nautical miles from any other, it is a limited life. A copra boat 3 or 4 times a year, & the very occasional yacht their only contact.

Taboos about inter family marriage means many do not have a partner available, & they no longer build the big canoes to make trading voyages they used to that overcame this problem.

I took 4 young teen girls from one atoll to another 400 miles away, & brought back 6 from there. These girls were unlikely to ever see home again. How much courage would that trip require.

As for health, yes we have great service for emergencies. My heart attacks have been treated very quickly. However after waiting 3 years just to see a specialist about my knees, I gave up & went private.

Yes my knees are shot, & I should have had replacement years ago. However with the damage the steroids I've been on for so long, have done to my system, the specialists will not operate as my healing would be doubtful, & infection would probably kill me. Fortunately they don't hurt driving my favourite cars, but getting in & out can be difficult. You wouldn't know where I can get one of those little cranes the knights in shining armour had to lift them on & off their horses do you?

Dear SOG,

Thank You for sharing your own experience. It is
most refreshing to find someone who was going
through difficult times themselves and to find them so
giving of their time and advice.

I appreciate your friendship and sage advice and
your lending an ear in this discussion.

I realise that the journey ahead won't be an easy one
for me however with the right outlook - I hope that
like you, I shall recover quickly.

Again - Many Thanks for your taking the time to respond
to this discussion.

Dear Hassie,

I'm so sorry to learn about your health problems.
Thank You (as always ,for your kind words).
Our limbs are something we take for granted until we
lose their functioning capacity. And then it becomes
not only very painful. Your whole life changes.
In hospital I was not allowed to be "weight-bearing"
on my right leg - so I had to be lifted up like a
piece of ship's cargo. However I now no longer have to
wear a brace (Thank God) and am able to walk (slowly)
with a four-wheel pusher. There's still a lot I can't do -
but I'm not giving up - and determined to recover.

I'm learnt that there are always people in much worse
states. If they can keep up their positivity - then
I have to do the same. Or at least try.

The human spirit is extraordinary - no matter where we live -
big city or on an island. The wish to survive is very
strong. We have many examples of people fighting towards
reaching that goal.

Dearest Foxy,

I had no idea that you had had an accident ! I'm sure that there are many of your friends here who are hoping for your speedy recovery, and getting back on the OLO horse :) And you're still the same old Foxy !

All the very best for the holiday season, and for many more to come !

Love always,

Joe