The previous post shares a story of how I escaped death. It’s a powerful and moving story, and I wish that I could tell you that it was a life-changing moment for me, but it wasnt.

The truth is, after my recovery, life went on pretty much as usual. I had to sleep with the lights on for a long time, and I still have symptoms of PTSD sometimes; but there was never a moment of epiphany when I just knew that I had to follow my dream.

The opposite actually happened. As a husband and father, I threw myself into building what was supposed to be a perfect life.

I did that for a lot of years. It wasnt until I was fifty-eight that I came to a point of realization. At that time, I honestly, deeply wanted to die, often wondering why I hadnt died way back then.

I changed my life because I had no choice, and it’s still changing. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, as an adult, but I’m also growing.

Right now, my purpose is twofold.
First, I want to be the best human that I can be. Finding new ways to help others and be a blessing is a driving force.
Second, I want to be the version of myself that I can be. That means learning to do things I’ve never done and seeing things I’ve never seen. I want to be amazed by this planet and everything on it. I’m traveling and learning. That’s my mission.

So, what does that mean for the people in my life? It means that I’ll see some of them more and others less, but I hope that they’ll appreciate my life more than if I’d stayed static.