Orlando. I ask if I can get off the plane and
get picked up and they say we can’t. An hour
goes by and then we take off for the half hour
flight back. We land and of course I have
just missed my flight to Miami. They offer to
comp me in a room in the airport Hyatt for
the inconvenience. This nowhere near makes
up for it, but after seeing there are no flights
to any other nearby airports where friends
can pick me up, I am forced to accept it. I
shower, get room service, eat a ton of food
and dessert and pass out for the five hours I
have before I have to get back up for an early
flight out. The hour flight goes by and I’m in
Miami, where my pickup unable to get me
because he was arrested the night before
(sorry buddy, not your fault and I protected
your name). I finally find an Uber to where my
car is parked, get my stuff in, grab gas and
coffee and drive straight back home.
DAY 20
With the travel finally over I went and
checked into a local hospital the next day for
blood work and more, stronger antibiotics.
After that, I reflected a lot that night and the
next day about what had happened the past
three weeks… the battle, the pain, the things
going wrong, and the unfair travel, and the
lessons I learned with it all. An immediate
lesson is to think about this real life story
before you dwell on small menial problems
and temporary struggles in life. Even during
this I found out about people who lost family
or found out they had cancer. The lesson is,
no matter what the struggle, it could always
be worse, and just being alive is a blessing to
cherish.
Being of normal health is one of the greatest
blessings on earth. The progression and
change of mindset in the hospital that I am
convinced helped me get through faster.
I think about the things I’ve been through
before. All my life I’ve been told what’s
possible, what I can and can’t do, what
should be expected or most people can
expect. I laugh at it all because I’ve relearned
the lesson once again that your mind is far
stronger than the illusion your body gives
you. Mental toughness, and positivity can
get you through almost anything.
Some people accept circumstance, give in
and it then of course never gets better. Not
me. I won’t fail. I cannot fail. I realize now that
this experience was a hidden blessing, and a
test that only makes those who fight to survive
far stronger. I was always a pretty hard worker,
but now I feel stronger, different, appreciative
of so much more, motivated to be so much
better then ever. This new inspiration will
make me come back ten times the person I
was, with no want to waste potential or go
through the motions. Life tests us. There are
peaks of reward and valleys of test. But these
tests will not stop you or break you unless
you throw in the towel.
I believe a peak follows each valley, and visa
versa, and I believe an unforeseen outcome
of this valley is the creation of a mentally
invincible monster that you did not intend.
And I believe the peaks will only get higher
and more rewarding for a long time. I’ll be
back on that field soon, picking up where I left
off, with dozens of times more appreciation
for it and fire, and it will not go unnoticed.
Finally, I want to extend a huge thank you
to everyone out there that was with me on
this journey. My family, loved ones, girlfriend,
team, camp teams, and the entire paintball
community of the U.S., most of South America
and Asia and all my new Euro friends. The
endless influx of messages, texts, posts of
support helped me get through it more then
anyone could ever know. Thank you all for the
support, donations, good wishes and mostly
your love.