A Crack at Life

        Bang! Bang! Bang! “ I need to be admitted now. Something is severely wrong with my back”, I yelled in agony. The receptionist for the emergency room threw herself back in shock. I had no intentions of terrifying the poor girl, but I was in tremendous pain. Taking in air was a challenge in itself, since every breath was shooting pain throughout my body. I was unaware this day would change my views on life forever.

         Before this incident, I was carefree. I was a very athletic person, so I didn’t consider an injury to be a major factor. Running daily had kept me in shape, and it also aided me with my sports. Baseball is all I would play, until I came across an outdoor activity called free running. Immediately, I was hooked, but it didn’t take long before I reconsidered.

It took place on a Friday, almost five years ago to this day in September, and it started like any other. Sleeping-in since I wasn’t in school, and my job had given me a day off, I leisurely rolled out of bed mid-morning. It just so happened that my girlfriend, Lynn, was down visiting from college. She had flown all the way down from Cal State Eastbay, and we planned on spending time together.  Seeing as I was the only one with a driver’s license, I was stuck doing all the commuting.

         “What would you like to do today, babe?” I asked, ” Please, nothing too crazy, okay?” As she was wracking her brain for an activity, I flipped on the tube. Randomly, I blurted out, “How about the park?” Without a rebuttal, she quickly agreed. I wasn’t trying to sound like a cheap date, but it sure came off that way when I suggested we walk. Even though it was directly on the other side of the block, she wasn’t having that, so we hopped back into my truck.

As we made our way around the park, we arrived at the playground area. “Why don’t you show me that Parkour, or free running, you’ve been bragging about for the past week?” Lynn requested as she scratched the air with finger quotations. I was reluctant at first, but I agreed to show her a few tricks, and I did mean a few tricks. I had just started late in the previous month, so I couldn’t do anything too spectacular.

         Quickly, I jumped from the bottom of the slide to the top. At the top, hung swinging bars. With the firm grip, I perform a handstand. Then, I proceeded to walk on my hands across the bars. From a height of about ten feet, I swung down. It was at this moment I thought to do a back flip off the swing. This was an idea I wouldn’t soon forget.

         It didn’t take me long to build up momentum. At the end of a three count, I flipped and came crashing back down to earth. When I landed, it was initially on my feet, but it was short lived. Slipping on wood chips, I slammed onto my rear end. My back felt like an accordion. Pain immediately attacked the middle of my spine. I tried walking it off, but to no avail. Getting back home was my only thought, once the pain wouldn’t leave.

         Adrenaline had kept most of the real pain hidden until I chose to lie down. There was no relief. I knew I was in serious trouble when the pain started to grow rapidly. Now, every movement made it harder to breathe. “You have to drive me to the hospital,” I pled to Lynn. She replied,” I don’t have a license, and I’m definitely not driving that beast you call a truck.” Fair enough I guessed.

         Since I had to drive my broken self to the hospital, each bump and turn was excruciating. As soon as I got there, I was barking at the receptionist. Fortunately, my uncle was working that day, so I was admitted right away. After the x-rays, the doctor discovered I had fractured a Thoracic bone in my spine. He recommended that I remain in bed for four weeks.

         The weeks went by slower than expected. It left me to think about my priorities. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and it sure wasn’t free running. This is when I realized, if I am to become who I want to be then I can’t involve myself in reckless behavior. I must bear down and focus on my strong suits. Music and art are what I’m good at, so I figured I should stick to what I know.

         Had it not been for my broken back, I might still be prancing around jungle gyms acting like a fool. Ever since my accident, I’ve been working harder toward my passions. I’ve been writing more than ever, and my drawing skills have made major improvements. When it comes to school, I’m completing it gradually, because without an education my goals are just dreams. My injury could be explained as a blessing in disguise, as it opened my eyes to the more important things in life.