Good Morning! Have a productive and enjoyable day
The exact day and reason that gave me the willpower to quit smoking. To set the stage, it was January 7, 1996, in Dallas, where the Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs with a score of 30-11. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Philadelphia region was in the midst of the storm of the Century, where a Nor’easter storm would dump up to 36″ of snow. By the time the game ended, we had almost two feet of snow on the ground. We were at my mother’s, our oldest daughter was pregnant with our first grandchild, sitting upstairs with my mother and a friend. Our other three children were at a friend’s house, and everyone had already checked in and was staying put at whoever’s home they were at, as nothing was changing.
When the game ended, my wife was in the kitchen preparing dinner. I put on my coat and boots, and in my frustration over the Eagles’ loss, I shouted to her, “I’m going out to kick some snow around.” She replied, almost as if she were foreshadowing something, “Wait until your sons get home!” In hindsight, I wish I had heeded her advice. I might add I was 39 years young and at the time was a two-plus pack-a-day smoker. This certainly didn’t help.
The irony of the situation is that while I was shoveling the walkway of my mother’s kind-hearted neighbors, they actually owned a snowblower. I think you can guess where this is leading, as that day changed the course of my life—and our lives—forever. Thank you, Lord, for being there for me and listening to and acting on my wife’s, children’s, and mother’s prayers that day.
It felt like something out of a movie. After realizing what was happening and drawing on my Red Cross training, I decided to take a few minutes to acclimate myself after shoveling snow in a blizzard before going into the warm house. I had to inform my wife that I was experiencing a heart problem while sitting on a rocker on my mother’s enclosed porch. To make a long story short, as I entered, she yelled from the kitchen, “It looks pretty awful out there!” I responded, “It is, and you have no idea just how awful it is,” as I hung up my coat and flopped onto the couch at the bottom of the stairs.
I lost track of how many minutes passed between my call for help and when I finally informed my daughter and mother about what was happening, trying to avoid causing them too much alarm. It was quite a while later when the EMTs arrived, after the Township had to plow the street that runs perpendicular to my mother’s home and then trudged up the walkway from three houses down. Fortunately, they arrived just in time and had already notified the fire company that they would need assistance escorting me to the ambulance on a polyethylene stretcher.
When we finally arrived at the hospital, I felt a sense of relief. Although I was still experiencing a heart attack, at least I was at a hospital with doctors and nurses ready to assess and care for us, even in the midst of a blizzard. I often think about the list of people to thank, not only for me, but also for all those who needed help that weekend by Township Plows, EMTs, Police, Firefighters, Doctors, Nurses, military personnel, and individuals with ATVs who were put into action that weekend working unaccountable hours. The area was placed under martial law, where no non-essential vehicles were to be out for almost three days. I am sure many folks like me, who innocently went out to shovel snow or help those in need, were greatly affected.
Here’s just their impact on me, one individual in a line of many, I am sure, over their careers. This January 7 will mark 30 years since my heart attack. My wife and I have four grown children and eight grandchildren (ages 29 to 7). We are both happily retired and will celebrate our 50th wedding Anniversary this coming January.
Point to Ponder: We need to return to the principles of civility, where we can disagree and engage in debate without resorting to hatred or violence, as outlined in the First Amendment. It is essential to respect our elders, find our moral compass, and appreciate those who serve the public, including EMTs, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, religious teachers, educators, and military personnel. All of these individuals make sacrifices to protect us, often in ways that go beyond our immediate surroundings or understanding. Many are using their knowledge and skills to serve and protect us in capacities that most people would be unwilling to undertake on their own.
Leave a comment