Don’t Take the Good Things for Granted
~ AKA: Thumbs Are Important ~
Yes, that’s me. A mountain biker! I LOVE to get up high and enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountain vistas. And that is exactly what I was enjoying early in the morning of April 17. And what a beautiful scene it was. In fact, that was the primary purpose of my bike ride… to take in this gorgeous view looking out over Utah Lake as the sun was beginning to spread its rays across Utah County Valley. I was not as high up in the mountain trails as I normally love to go. Rather, I was out for a quick early morning street ride, but here in Utah, one can still get up high on the streets to get to an amazing vantage point.
Oh, how was I enjoying this beautiful view and thinking how glad I was to have gotten up early to ride up high above the city and see the sunrise making itself known across the valley. Until, that is, due to my distraction Mother Nature imposed upon my attention. Surprisingly, out of the blue, while enjoying this beautiful view over my left shoulder, I ran smack directly into one of these concrete barriers that was placed right in the middle of this very long parking lot at the Cedar Hills Golf Club near the entrance to American Fork Canyon. And I was not going slow.
Fortunately for my bike, it is heavy-duty and has amazing shock absorbers on the front forks, and the bike made it over the barrier. Not, however, without first imposing an amazing amount of damage to both of my hands because my thumbs were wrapped around the handlebar and, therefore, bore the brunt of the impact. Once the front wheel cleared the barrier, it was the rear wheel’s turn to deliver its medicine. Without as significant of a shock absorption mechanism as the front wheel, I was trajected upward and forward over the handlebar. I landed forcefully on my head and shoulder. The bike and I came to a final rest about 20 feet from the point of impact. I have repeated visions of the pavement defying gravity and momentum as it rose from its normal stationary horizontal position and came with unimaginable speed and force directly toward my face. Fortunately, I somehow managed to turn my head in time to preserve my nose. My heavy-duty ski helmet (yes, it was cold, so I grabbed this amazingly comfortable and warm industrial-strength ski helmet rather than my normal bike helmet which would not have fared as well) protected my intellect and surrounding infrastructure.
I left some precious skin and blood on the driveway. Somehow, I managed to ride my bike down the hill all the way home while sporting injuries on my shoulder, thumbs, wrists, hands, knees, and ankle.
Becoming Thumbless
Most of my injuries were superficial and have already healed up nicely. My two thumbs, however, have been a longer-term project. One thumb was fractured, and the other hand had a bruised ligament that governs its thumb. My broken thumb has been in a splint to immobilize the break, and my other hand is in a splint to immobilize the thumb. Immense pain was the theme for several weeks. Basically, I could not use either thumb. The good news is that within about six weeks of my crash I should be healed up well enough to regain the use of both thumbs. I will then begin two-handed physical therapy.
Lessons Learned
So, what have I learned from this experience? Here are a few thoughts to consider…
Thumbs are very important. I've learned I rely on them a lot more than I had previously ever imagined.
Without thumbs, some things become impossible, and nearly everything becomes difficult and takes a lot more time. Buttoning shirts, pulling socks on, tying shoes, eating, brushing teeth, and typing are examples of activities that become painstakingly complicated or require assistance from a willing family member.
I have gained a new appreciation for people with disabilities. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for people with physical limitations, but now I have just a very small and temporary personal taste of the challenges they face every day.
I realize how much I have taken good health and fitness for granted. When you lose something, even if temporarily, you quickly learn how important it is!
Reflections on Important Blessings
Learning to cope with limited or no use of my thumbs these past few weeks has given me cause to reflect on other “good things” that I would not wish to be without. I didn’t think much ever about how grateful I should have been to have two healthy, highly functioning thumbs until they were both injured and rendered useless. Countless other things in my life that I enjoy and rely on every day are every bit as important as my two thumbs. Some things are even more important. Many things I could list would result in a devastating case of miserableness if I lost them. Some things I simply could not exist without. The hymn, “Count Your Blessings” comes to mind. Here’s a short list of things that would result in a tremendous sense of loss if I were to lose them like I did the temporary loss of the use of my thumbs, and I’m going to keep this list short by focusing only on a few spiritual blessings rather than my many temporal dependencies.
The Holy Ghost – I think sometimes the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost we are entitled to as members of the Church becomes part of our baseline feeling… to where we might not consciously realize and appreciate this magnificent blessing of having the Holy Ghost constantly with us. Sometimes we might feel significant feelings and impressions that remind us of his presence and guiding influence in our life. But most of the time we might not feel an awareness of his presence with us because, just like I didn’t appreciate having two good thumbs until I didn’t, it is built into our baseline. Guaranteed, though, if you were to lose this precious Gift of the Holy Ghost, you would realize the significant loss of comfort and guidance in your life. I can speak to this because I am an adult convert to the Church, so I remember what it was like to have only an occasional experience of the Holy Ghost pointing out things to me now and then. Becoming a baptized member of the Church and the resulting constant companionship of the Holy Ghost brought a significant change to me that has been a tremendous strength and blessing that I wish never to part with!
Scriptures – The world is so lost and nearly everyone on earth is living beneath their potential because they are not even aware they are children of an amazing and wonderful Father in Heaven, and they do not know their Savior. All they would have to do is read the scriptures to gain a whole new appreciation for who they are and learn how to access the healing blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but they could gain a vision for their future potential and learn so much about what to expect in the coming days that will befall the world in the very near future so they could repent and prepare. For me, my faith in Jesus Christ was established at a very young age because I read the New Testament nightly for many years, and I also learned much about the Lord’s dealings with humanity by reading the Old Testament. By the time I left home for college, I had a wonderful foundation of faith that helped me find purpose in my pursuits. Later, when I learned of The Book of Mormon, that foundation I had established earlier in my life helped me recognize the truthfulness of the book. In fact, I could not set it down until I had completed reading the entire book in four days! I recognized it to be true, and that it was something I was searching for while not knowing it existed. It helped answer so many questions that had remained unanswered to that point of my life. And, of course, it helped me to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How could I possibly have found happiness so far in my life without the scriptures? And how could I possibly expect to continue to progress or find continued peace and happiness without being able to read and ponder and learn from the scriptures now and going forward. My life would be so much less if somehow the scriptures were taken away from me.
Church – I cannot imagine my life without the Church. Sure, without it I could spend more time doing fun things and pursuing things that bring temporary enjoyment. But I think I would be miserable without the Church. Without the Church, I would miss out on so much… like the wonderful fellowship with members, remission of sins, priesthood ordinances of salvation, temple sealing ordinances that seal families together, gospel education, and so much more. Again, because I am an adult convert to the Church, perhaps I have a perspective that helps me have an extra dose of appreciation for these things because I lived 25 years of my life without these wonderful blessings. The contrast is stark.
Family – As a young man contemplating one day being married and raising a family, I did not have the concept of eternal families. I am so grateful for learning about the restored gospel, joining the Church, finding a wonderful wife who was so qualified to marry in the Temple, and being able to bring four wonderful children into this life being Born in the Covenant. While we are by no means close to perfection, I take great comfort in knowing that as we strive to keep our covenants, our family may become an eternal family and enjoy amazing resulting blessings. This is something I am most grateful for, and something I would miss way more than both my thumbs and even my life if this blessing were taken from me.
I could go on and on with my list, but I think I have made my point. It is so easy to not pay attention to the wonderful blessings we each enjoy. Pondering on the blessings we have can lighten our worries, turn sadness into gladness, and make life so much more tolerable and enjoyable.
Hardships and Challenges Spawn Blessings
When a hardship comes along, it may seem overwhelming, and we may feel an immense sense of loss. Most things we lose are temporary. An eternal perspective is important. The things that matter most and the things we should pursue have a more eternal impact.
Did my bike accident result in hardship? Yes, but I managed to still tend to all my important responsibilities, albeit with a good amount of help from Laurel and my doctor.
Am I disappointed I chose to go for my April 17 bike ride? Actually, no. I truly enjoyed the beautiful view I pursued, and getting some exercise in the brisk fresh air. And there are even some things I gained from my experience that balance out the cost/benefit equation that I could not gain any other way. For example…
An increase in humility.
An appreciation for wearing my helmet.
A realization that I should have worn gloves. Lesson learned – I would have avoided several painful abrasions. I’ll be more compliant with gloves when biking on the mountain trails.
A renewed commitment to pay more attention to where I am driving rather than being distracted. This might actually save my life one day since this renewed commitment will help me be a better driver and bike rider. Paying attention with eyes on the road at all times is important.
Greater appreciation for my many blessings as noted above.
At Laurel’s suggestion, I even took advantage of this experience to extoll the benefits of the healthcare program I am helping CEOs learn about to provide better healthcare for their employees. My experience is featured in one of my LinkedIn posts, and shows how my healthcare provider actually sent an X-ray technician and machine to my house the day of my accident!
We all have experiences where we are forced to ponder where we are in life regarding our feelings of gratitude, and in general how we approach life’s challenges. While my accident was relatively minor, it did give me this opportunity. I think I will be a better person for experiencing this temporary and very minor setback. I encourage anyone reading about my experience to reflect with gratitude on their blessings and to not take the good things in life for granted.
-Bob Hilke
