Blog #618: Knocked By TWO Waves

Crashing big waves.

The ocean carries them.
So does the land.

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I’m living on the ocean for thirty days.

I spent today in Antigua, Guatemala, before again boarding the Bliss (the name of my ship) and setting sail up the Pacific.

In Antigua…

My sneakers took me up and down the cobblestone streets, and I had a chance to feel life through a different culture. Simplicity and struggle are the norm for many who live here.

Throughout the day, I saw tens of brightly dressed Mayan women and their young children lining the streets and carrying stacks of neatly folded blankets on their heads.

These women have learned to be fearless in their salesmanship in order to provide for their families. Even a guy like me who often finds a way to walk through much of my own fear is humbled by the boldness of what it takes to walk up to stranger after stranger to make a sale.

Just to survive.

______

In sailing away from Guatemala later that day…

The Bliss was hit by 15+ foot waves for 24 hours. The giant ship was rocking and rolling. A few got scared. Many got sick. Admittedly, I also took seasick pills to help with the roller coaster-type ship ride.

BUT…

The BIG ocean waves never scare me. Instead, their awesome power sparks my inspiration and resolve. I am mesmerized by the dips and crests of the angry BIG water.

Climbing.

Falling.

Roaring.

Changing.

And this time as I watched…

I felt it all a little extra.

Let me share why.

______

In August of this year…

Readers of this blog know I succeeded in crossing Scotland by foot…the ninth country I’ve walked across. But very few people know what happened AFTER my walk.

I was knocked backwards by TWO “land waves.”

ONE week after finishing the 135-mile country-crossing Scottish walk…I was floored hard by the onset of a non-ending migraine. The intense migraines lasted every second of every minute of every hour for THREE weeks.

After the first five days…

It was obvious something was wrong. I jumped on an emergency visit to my doctor. A head scan carried the concern that something was definitely up. An immediate visit for a brain MRI was required. It all happened shockingly fast…kinda’ like an old-time Twilight Zone episode.

There was swelling around my brain.

I won’t go into detail, but after three weeks of careful care, my brain swelling subsided and my migraines ended. It was scary, and of course, my thoughts explored all the possibilities of what was happening, but I remained consistent in being me.

“Stay positive.”

______

But my return to health would be short.

On October 27th, a second “land wave” crashed into me.

I made the mistake of lifting something heavy…wrong.

My back popped.

LOUDLY.

Six hours later…

I couldn’t get off the bed.

I couldn’t walk.

At that early point of my injury, my pain was level 10. My back hurt so badly that it took me twenty minutes to scream, cry and push and pull my body to my knees…and crawl.

Me…a guy who walks across countries… had turned into a human snail. It took me minutes to crawl a short twenty feet to the bathroom. Getting on and off a bed was impossible, and I was forced to live on the floor.

Three days later…

I painfully started to create ways to lift myself to my feet so I could move faster. Each time I tried to stand, it took 5+ minutes to rise. Once standing, I moved with an inch-at-a-time shuffle.

It took ten days before I could even begin to walk for more than 50 yards.

Then…

I succeeded in painfully walking the dogs around the block.

Every step brought a knife-like pain into my back.

Brutal.

______

And that brings me back to today.

Forty-six days ago…

I slipped a disk and couldn’t walk. Today in Antigua, Guatemala, I succeeded in walking the furthest I’ve walked since getting injured.

Three miles.

I still feel occasional jolts of harsh pain as I move, but my legs and back are improving. I will absolutely continue to do all that is required to keep getting stronger.

And this is where being a lifetime goal setter pays off.

I’ve now cast a personal vision into the Universe.

Three miles WILL turn into five.

Five miles WILL turn into ten.

Ten miles WILL turn into fifteen.

And In 2024…

I WILL walk across country #10.

______

“Land waves” are very real.

And when one unexpectedly smashes into us and knocks us down hard…

Life offers us a choice.

Will the wave…

Water our fear?

Sink our dreams?

Drown our courage?

Or…

Will the wave boldly grow the best that lives in us?

We own that choice.

______

So today…

I was Antigua, Guatemala.

I saw Mayan women living fearlessly.

I was on a giant ship in the ocean.

I felt big waves crash into us, but we boldly continued.

The Mayans.

The ship.

They both offered me lessons in moving forward.

I see them.

I feel them.

I follow them.

May you do the same when a brutal, big wave hits you, too.

S.