RE: Anyone can be unlucky.

I had a "why me" moment when I was 16 years old. A friend and I were in a motorcycle accident that injured both of us. Upon landing on the side of the street, I instantly realized that my leg was not in a normal position. One of my first thoughts was "why me". But, being the analytical type, it occurred to me that there was nothing uniquely special about me that would protect me from an accident. If it wasn't my friend and me, it could just as easily been somebody else. It took months and multiple surgeries to recover, although not 100%. I still have problems with my leg.

That brief instance of "why me" gave me some peace through the recovery. All I could do was let things take their course, getting picked up by an ambulance and transported to the emergency room, lying in traction in the hospital, physical therapy, weeks in bed, and the gradual recovery while attending school with a broken leg. To my mind, it happened. It happens to others. Others recover. All I had to do was be patient and let my body heal.

This is different from having a chronic illness, I recognize. But my sense has always been that it can't be undone; and all I can do is move forward.

I only rode a motorcycle once soon after that incident just to overcome the fear. But I never rode again, almost three decades before buying another. But that was a choice recognizing that I had a family. My children are grown now. I am more cautious about other drivers when I ride. Even so, I've had some close calls. But I think this is similar to having a chronic condition in which I would be careful to not do things that would aggravate my condition. I have an allergy to latex, bananas, and avocado which makes me careful about checking food before I eat to avoid the consequences. All I can do is be mindful.

This makes me think that a large part of dealing with life challenges is psychological or mindset. Yes, the consequences are physical. But there is little that can be done after the fact except how we deal with it.