What makes a person lucky? The answer could be almost anything. The thing that we fail to realize is that we’re all lucky. At one time we beat out millions of other sperm in order to fertilize the egg. If we had lost that race we wouldn’t be here today. It sounds kind of corny, but it’s true. Our luck started before we were even alive.
A while back I met a person who told me that they were lucky. They went on to tell me that they have always been blessed with good luck. I quietly listened and took it all in. I complained to the person about my bad luck. Although I’ve never truly thought that I’m an unlucky person I find that I tell people that because it sometimes feels good when someone shows you some sympathy.
At first the conversation was just in passing, but over time I was made more aware of the many good fortunes that this person has been a part of. Just like anyone, she has had her share of bad luck, but she doesn’t usually acknowledge it. That might be good and it might be bad. Sometimes we have to realize that we’ve been dealt a bad hand. When things don’t go quite right it’s ok to admit it. That’s when you have to find something positive that comes from the bad luck, which ultimately turns into good luck.
I’ve always been a firm believer that we make our own luck. I consider myself one of the luckiest people alive. I can still remember a Little League All Star game that I played in when I was 12 years old. It was in a tournament in Greenwich, NY. We went undefeated in the tournament. In one of the games I hit a ball to deep right-center field. It clunked a sign that said “Hit Me: Win a Free Ice Cream from Stewarts.” I was pretty lucky that day. Although I didn’t eat much ice cream due to my diabetes, I still enjoyed hitting the sign.
My good luck started even before that. When I was six years old I went for a motorcycle ride on my parents anniversary with my father. We were going to ride around the block before my parents went out to dinner. We never returned home that night. A half mile from home a dog ran out from under a car and got lodged between the wheels of the motorcycle. When we crashed my skull was cracked, along with the helmet. My father got tossed off the bike and his bones were sticking out of his skin from rubbing across the pavement. For weeks after the accident I wasn’t able to do anything. There were questions as to whether or not my face would ever return to normal. In the end the only thing that stuck was a white scar that appears under my hair-line when I sweat. I never knew how lucky I would continue to be from that day forward.
I had many more lucky moments over the next decade, but one of them stands out from my college years. I was never a person who could do well without studying. One year when my final exams rolled around I had to cram to get in as much studying as possible.
One evening as I was studying I took my insulin injection and decided to go eat a little while later. After I returned from eating I took another injection because I had forgotten about doing it the first time around. The next morning my roommate found me unconscious in my bed. I fell asleep without realizing that I took two injections. I never woke up.
The next thing I can remember is floating above a bed. I could see my body lying lifeless on a table below. There were nurses and doctors all around the table. I saw them shock me to bring me back to life. Then, I could hear a doctor yelling, “Get him again, you’re losing him, get him again.” I saw my body jolt upward when they put the paddles to my chest again. At that point everything seemed very bright. The next thing I can remember is waking up in a hospital room and my parents were there. I knew that it would have taken them at least three hours to get there. Although I didn’t know what was going on, I knew that something was wrong. A short time later I was filled in on the events that had taken place.
I never said a word to anyone about my experience because I figured people would think that I was crazy. Until that day I never believed in out of body experiences, but now I have no doubt that it happens. The odd part is that it wasn’t all that scary when I was watching it from above. With all of the chaos below me I was peacefully watching the events unfold. I was in a good place. Many people say that they don’t fear death after something like that happens to them, but I can honestly say that I still have the fear. At the same time though, I believe the end will be very similar to what I went through that day. I’ll never know until I get there.
I’m pretty sure that I can say that I was blessed with a little bit of good luck that day. I also know that my time wasn’t up. Whatever I was put on this planet to do had not been done at that point. I’m not sure if I’ve accomplished my tasks yet, but I feel that I haven’t, otherwise I would be gone. So, if I’ve been a positive influence in your life you can assume that I was meant to be there. Something brought me to you to serve a purpose. Some of us take longer than others to figure out why things happen, but they all happen for a reason.
We’re not human if we don’t experience a few relationship problems in our lives. While I’ve experienced some wonderful times, I’ve also hit a few bumps in the road. I feel blessed that things happened as they did. At the time that a few of the relationships ended I was devastated. I felt empty, hopeless and lost. I felt like I had failed myself and others around me. A few times I knew that I would be better off, but the pain was still very deep. It’s at these times that we sometimes don’t allow ourselves to see the forest through the trees. We’re all guilty of it. We try to convince ourselves that things are better than what they actually are. We tend to get lost and before we know it we become creatures of habit. The few people who brake the trend are the ones who truly succeed and go on to live successful lives.
Now, I feel extremely lucky for the events that have transpired in my life. This website and blog came into existence because of a great loss, but a loss that I now look at as a stroke of good luck. It forced me to reinvent myself and chase dreams that I had put aside for far too long. It allowed me to become friends with people who have taught me many things about life and about myself. It allowed me to reach out to people who needed some guidance or a helping hand. Most people might consider a time period like that to be bad luck, but I don’t. I’m thankful for the good luck that I was so blessed to find after I moved forward.
As one day has led into the next I have gained a better insight for what I want and need out of life. It’s very hard to make any significant changes if we don’t know what we truly want or need. Somehow, some way I was fortunate enough to meet a person who I know refer to as “The Lucky One.” A few simple words here and there and a couple of deep conversations made me realize that good luck does follow this person around. Although it’s very evident, it’s not that way for many other people. Some of us have to realize that bad things sometimes happen to us to bring us good luck at a later time.
I play the part like everyone else. I pretend that I have bad luck because I want people to feel sorry for me. In all reality I know how lucky I am. I have a wonderful life. Although I sometimes find myself wallowing around in sadness or self-pity, I’m always able to see the light. I’m lucky to have the greatest parents in the world. They have helped me to become the person that I am. I have many faults, but the good parts that I have all come from them. I always try to be kind, considerate and understanding of others. I’m willing to lend an ear when someone needs me to listen and a shoulder if someone needs to lean on me.
I don’t have a good way to end this tonight. Monday night was a horrible night. A few unexpected things came up and my moodiness got the best of me. Before I knew it I was in a place that I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t turn the clock back, so I climbed in bed and stared at the ceiling. I wanted The Lucky One to float above me and sprinkle some of the magic dust onto my body. I peered into the darkness and wished upon an empty sky. Nothing came…… I could hear the tree frogs across the street, but that was it. The silence was deafening and I could hear my voice inside my head. I could hear the Lucky One’s voice telling me that good luck would come my way if I waited long enough without pursuing it. Before long I was fast asleep……..waiting and praying, praying and waiting. Maybe I’ll be the Lucky One some day, if I’m not already. You be the judge….