The World According To Will – Putting Life In Perspective

It’s been quite a few weeks in the world of politics, with vitriol being spewed on a variety of fronts—from liberals who “won” the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) case wishing that Justice Scalia, who wrote the dissent, be cast into hell (really, you’d think they’d be too busy celebrating to be angry) to characterizing the Voting Rights case as a throwback to the 1960’s.

This week has been a milestone in my life, and I’d like to share it, not out of egocentrism, but to put life into perspective.

On January 2 of last year, I was prepping for my radio show, and, as is often the case, I was daydreaming. I had five topics going at once, all of which were about halfway developed. I decided to go to the bank just to take a break; the errand, I reasoned, would take about 20 minutes, and then I would be fresh to finish preparing for my show. It was a beautiful day, after all, and I just needed a little sunshine.

I got to the bank, made my transaction, and then…and then I don’t know what happened. I lived just north of the border back then, in a little town in Tennessee called College Grove. There are lots of curvy two lane roads, and it hadn’t rained much last year, so deer were running about during the day. I was driving a 90’s-era Buick when I hit a tiny hickory tree—three inches in diameter—that changed the course of the last year.

On paper, I should have died. On paper, if I didn’t die, I should have lost, at the very least, my right foot, and perhaps one or both of my legs. I was life-flighted to Vanderbilt, where the amazing medical team there saved my life. I’m happy to report that I’m walking now, and I have all of my body parts.

There’s a plethora of directions I could go here, but since this is only one column (the analogy is having only a couple of hours as opposed to all day on the radio), suffice it to say that since the accident, my perspective on life has changed. It sounds generic, I know, but near-death experiences will do that.

The court cases mentioned above are important, but not life-changing. Ditto with regard to most (to be clear, not all) policies emanating from Washington. If you listen to my radio show, the chances are that politics is a sport of sorts for you, like Alabama football or Braves baseball. At the end of the day, your team either wins or loses.

But that’s not what really matters in life (and here comes the sappy part). Your relationship with your loved ones is far more important than your devotion to a political party or a baseball team. And you never know what can happen from moment to moment.

I say that not to make anyone paranoid, but to urge everyone who reads this to wake up with thanksgiving in his or her heart, making sure that any conflict, argument, or any other trivial caca (that means poopie in Spanish) doesn’t eclipse the blessings that stare us all in the face each day.

Be sure to tell your family how much you love them today. And go Braves.
By: Will Anderson