Are you Hurt or Injured?

If you're hurt you can play, if you're injured you can't. I live by that rule in most of what I do in life. It has served me well and keeps me moving forward always. I recently thought about this concept as I was "talking" to my friend who is serving in Afghanistan. He was recovering from an altercation with an IED that went off right behind his seat while on a mission. Even after being knocked around by the blast, when he came around still engaged in the firefight and "handled" his business as he put it.

He spent about two weeks recuperating (if you can call it that, he was still doing two a days in the "gym", silly man) and then was sent back out to run missions. As his friend, my initial response was "Don't go! You're not ready." and I posed the question "How can you be 'okay' with going?" His response was simple, "it's my job. It's what we do." I started to recall all the many conversations I have had over the years of competitive and even non competitive play in my various sports and activities. People asking me "why" or "how" I continue to do what I do despite an impairment. In his case, shaking hands, ringing ears and pounding head due to exploding devices racking his brain, and in mine, usually a sprained finger or ankle, or perhaps a debilitating migraine. However, I always played. Even if I had to puke during a timeout, I did what I had to do to play. It's just what I did, and what I continue to do. It's really not that different.

Mad props to him and his other two mates that were affected by that IED and the Purple Hearts they earned for that encounter. I know this may seem silly, but as our friendship has developed, I feel like every time he comes onto Facebook (silly, I know)it's a blessing. It's one day closer he is to returning home...and one more day that he is alive to tell me all his stories. Some people I can't relate the stories to that he shares with me, because they are sensitive to the details, but for me, I'd rather him tell me about those things. I don't want to read about them from someone else and see his name in black.

Two more months, mate! We'll be here with pints of Strawberry ice cream, a case of yogurt, a few good books, a copy of "Marley and Me" in hand and ready to chill. We have plans!

ej