This summer, mainly because of the distance to my gym, I’ve been running a little more than six miles each morning. Sprinting up and down the streets and sidewalks of Toronto has taken a toll on my body, and over the last few weeks, I’ve developed a severe shin splint just under my left knee.
This morning, it became painfully apparent that my running career will have to go on hold for a few weeks. I need to spend some time healing.
As such, my ten minute sprint to and from the gym became a 30 minute walk, and I grumbled at my misfortune. No sooner did the grumbling begin than I noticed a young man walking in front of me. It was apparent from his distorted posture that he was living with cerebral palsy. A pang of guilt for my ingratitude shot through me.
A few blocks down, I overhead a woman talking to a coworker. “What a beautiful day for a walk,” she said, referring to the comfortable, late-summer weather. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and everything glistened with perfection like Brent Everett’s nipples. The woman was speaking the truth, of course, and I brought awareness to my short-sightedness.
By the time I passed Toronto’s hospital for sick children, I felt like an unfathomable asshole. Young faces, many bald, watched from their windows. A few families huddled around the lobby, their eyes bloodshot from a long night.
I have so much for which to be grateful. Just like you, no matter your situation or circumstance. I am thankful for today’s reminder, and I will accept my paltry injury for what it is – and bring awareness to the lessons that it is offering me.
And as it turns out, most things in life (including shin splits, cerebral palsy and cancer) are inconsequential when it comes to our happiness. I’m reminded of the quote, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. And it’s all small stuff.” A recent study showed that quadriplegics and lottery winners were equally happy to each other one year after their injury or win. Come to find out, what happens out there isn’t nearly as important as what happens in here.
September 9, 2009 at 4:38 pm
This made my day soo much better. I just hope I can keep this happiness up.
September 9, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Ouch! I had shin splints this summer and it hurt a lot! Even if I were to sit on top of my leg, it would start hurting! But that’s not the point here. This post reminded of a wonderful theme you’re always broadcasting:happiness comes form within, not from without. And nothing, not even running, winning a lottery, getting into a car accident, or becoming the top most subscribed on youtube, can make happy in the long run.
September 9, 2009 at 4:59 pm
hum, davey, same here,broken toe, and yeah, guys in wheel chairs because the have to…heal thyself wavey
September 9, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I hope you feel better very soon. <3
September 9, 2009 at 5:07 pm
LOL @ Brent Everett’s nipples
September 9, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Everyone is ego centric at times. It is especially hard to be loving towards people when you are stressed. Reminding ourselves of all the positives really puts our complaints into perspective and allows us to realize our faults. (I am thinking this message is just as much for me as it is for your post)
Being conscious of not only your complaints but how ridiculous they sound compared to the less fortunate just shows how enlightened you are.
September 9, 2009 at 5:47 pm
This is great.
I just did this recently with losing my hair. I have had a hard time coming to terms with the fact i am losing my hair. Then I remember my niece whose life was taken from her at the age of 8. I know she would rather be here dealing with losing her hair than her life totally.
There are millions of people in situations in their lives who would rather switch and deal with my minor problem.
We all just need to learn to keep our lives in perspective. I am not saying anything you face is not hard or rough or a challenge but you will overcome it just as millions of people have before.
You are not alone.
September 9, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I agree!
Brent Everett has a soooooooooo nice chest! lol
September 9, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Thanks! I needed that. Generally I am a positive person, but for some reason I have had a dark cloud hanging over my head for two days. It is good to hear a story like this to readjust your viewpoint. Thanks!
September 9, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Davey,
Are you sure it’s shin splints. You made it sound like you developed it in one spot. Shin splints are a line not a spot.
Lest anyone thinks I don’t know what I am talking about, I have a degree in sports medicine.
Email me Davey and we can talk more if you are concerned.
September 9, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Came home from a similar day but without the reminder!! Glad I visited your site first. Your story changed my focus.
Thanks
Ben
September 9, 2009 at 8:25 pm
try swimming now that you cant run anymore.
September 9, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Wow, Davey, you’re gonna make me cry! You are SO sweet! I love you!
September 10, 2009 at 1:00 am
It’s always a real wake-up call whenever I realize I’m taking things for granted, yet again. Last night I went to the hardware store to buy some replacement headlight bulbs as one of mine had burned out. I could not, for the life of me, fit them into the sockets. After much tinkering I couldn’t figure out how to properly affix the light bulbs. So rather than try to figure it all out, I yelled m**********r!!, kicked the bumper and gave up. I found out later I had bought the wrong part – my own fault – and had damaged the housing by using the wrong bulbs. I was pissed at having spent $40 on bulbs that I couldn’t return and having damaged the housing.
This morning I went back to the store and bought 2 new bulbs. It gave me pause to think that the $40 I was shelling out was not going to bankrupt me. It didn’t put me into any sort of financial peril. It was a mistake I could afford to pay for. I’ve always known I’m a very fortunate person to have all that I have: great family, great friends, great job great talent, great intellect. Today I really got present to my attachment to money and to having everything go my way. How fascinating! LOL
My experience was a little different than yours, Davey, in that I didn’t feel like an asshole for having had an outburst of anger. I believe we all act like assholes sometimes. I’m not going to resist it.
Fortunately I get present to my own bullshit very quickly and my realization today helped me to get my integrity back. And of course as soon as the integrity is restored it’s on its way out again… It’s all a matter of time. And each time I restore my integrity I learn more about myself and about the world.
Tonight I put my talent to work. I took apart my headlight assembly, filed down the burnt parts and melted some of the other bits so that they would accommodate the new bulb. Et voila it’s fixed. Once again I realize how fortunate I am to have the tools to have done this and the ingenuity to put them to use.
I certainly agree that no circumstance in the universe is a true impediment to a happy life. Life itself is the ultimate gift. We win the cosmic lottery just in being born. Whether we’re alive for 8 minutes or 8 decades we’ve won that lottery. Sadness over the inherrent trials of life id akin to winning only a million dollars in the lottery because other people have won $300M. It’s not how much you have but how you use it.
September 10, 2009 at 7:54 am
“We win the cosmic lottery just in being born”
AWSOME & BRILLIANT!!!!
Thank You
September 10, 2009 at 1:06 am
Hey Davey,
I know you rush through life keeping everything together, yet when you are forced to take the time to observe your surroundings there is so much suffering everywhere. Just hold your head up and know that what ever is meant to be, will be.
It’s hard when you can not see suffering in your own life, yet see so much in the people of the world. What do you do? What will make the difference to those people around you in the city you live in to improve those lives?
It really is a serious question. I wonder how do I have such a great life when there are so many suffering around me?
I think Davey that you are doing a most wonderfull service to the people who have discovered you blog. Your optimism and lighthearted responses to you life experiences are like a breath of fresh air.
I know you have many people watching you blog and you know I think that they probably watch…..because of the same reasons I do. I wake up in the morning hopefull to see a new post. Just because it feels great to have someone express in “mostly” word the same way that I feel inside. Your ability to articulate your life experiences with such objectivity and possitivity is absolutely astounding. I feel that everyone wants to hear the things that you are able to say in your blogs yet so few people actually have the courage to say them with such honesty.
We are all bombarded with dishonesty and uncaring in the society that surrounds us. Yet without the ability to respond to the corruption that the wealth of our society has created in a possitive manner it can be hard for many to wake up to their morning and see the beauty that is to behold in this world. Davey you give people the opportunity to wake up in the morning and see the sun shineing down upon us and blessing our individual existences. It is fresh and allows for the healthy feelings we have the ability to feel eminate from our very core.
I personally need to say thank you just because, for me I find it SO VERY HARD to find people other than myself to respond to the world and the experiences in our lives with such optimism and faith.
It is refreshing and comforting and diffinately renews my unending faith in the possibilty of perfection for all members of humanity.
Ken
September 10, 2009 at 2:23 am
Six miles in 10 minutes? what what??
Who are you? Cheetah man?
September 10, 2009 at 2:55 am
David is a rocket!… I run approximately the same distance and it never took me ten minutes to do it…..
bye,
September 10, 2009 at 3:36 am
I had an awful day and reading this helped me center my thoughts. I immediately stopped focusing on the small bits of sadness and stress in my life. Isn’t it true that the bad days are just sojourners in our lives?
So, thank you for reminding me how to see the good in life and thank you for helping me realize that while I might be having a bad day, there are some things worth living wholly and joyously for: the happiness I find in my lover, the comfort of family and the security of my friends.
September 10, 2009 at 3:45 am
Oh, Davey, I love Break the Illusion. I love your talky blogs too. You are DREAMY *sigh*
September 10, 2009 at 6:10 am
i definitely concur. dreamy….im sighing as well
September 10, 2009 at 6:23 am
David,
Regarding the recent study you mentioned in the post; you mean you believe all that garbage? Compare what is comparable and don’t pay attention to such study! The one who conducted that one is without doubt an arrant idiot!!!
bye, have a good day!
Ps : A lot of rest and anti-inflammatories will certainly help you to recover rapidly from your leg! Patience!
September 12, 2009 at 12:00 am
If you look at the study and some ancillary research it makes sense. I heard Dr. Joy Browne talking about it on the radio and I watched a TED talk on it, too.
September 12, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Thank your for your reply.
I hope, for David, that my comment wasn’t too harsh!
I get up on my high horse sometimes!
And you are right ; I’m not a graduate in psychology.I don’t know so much about happiness so I will watch more attentively and humbly the video with Dan Gilbert (and add “Ted” as one of my favorites on my computer).
But, have you ever compiled medical files of quadriplegic people? I did for my studies and work.
While I was reading medical reports I was disgusted to discover on long lists what “the universe has in store” for some of us.
bye,
September 10, 2009 at 6:31 am
Take care of those shin splints. Lots of ice after walking or working out. Reduce inflammation and take it really easy until there is some improvement. Shin splints can be a really annoying long standing injury if ignored. Find out if there is a stretch that you can do to alleviate some aspect of the problem — unsure about the actual mechanics of that area, but there might be something you can do to help. Also deep tissue “friction” can help reduce adhesions from forming during the healing process which can really aid in the free movement of the tissues as they get better. (Adhesions, part of healing and scar tissue formation, can really slow the process and add a lot of pain to movement when normal activity is resumed.)
September 10, 2009 at 7:26 am
Of course shin splints, which are exquisitely painful, are an inflammation of the fascia surrounding the tibia. They can be stretched by sitting back on your heels and, if possible, putting your hands on the floor behind you.
September 10, 2009 at 7:31 am
I discovered shinsplints in Toronto as well, and while it took about six months for the pain to go away, I’ve been very happy for the lesson learned of “good things in moderation” and mostly because exercise is good, but you do have to let the body heal afterwards.
I do thank God (and the universe) for the fact that there are doctors and caregivers who work to prevent cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis and cure conditions like Alzheimer’s.
God created the universe, and gave us minds to think and hearts to love with so we can make the future better, I hope you can help celebrate the successful achievements instead of believing that ‘God is supposed to heal everyone, why should we get involved?’
History says that people who used to be born defective were ‘put out of their misery’ so they wouldn’t live an unbearable life. Seeing as how they enjoyed the morning like you did, I wouldn’t believe that that would be a kindness.
Cheers to you and here’s to hoping that you heal quickly!
September 10, 2009 at 11:05 am
All the people who took part in “healthy activity” at work are suffering in their old age. Keep to the arm chair – its much safer. Where’s my remote…..
September 10, 2009 at 7:34 am
Davey – even serious runners know that you have to take breaks. The same is true of life – mix it up; take a rest – and your body, mind and soul will appreicate it more.
September 10, 2009 at 7:36 am
Davey you definitely put my life in perspective some days. Really enjoyed reading this, because I know that I try and live my life the fullest everyday, and it doesn’t matter if I am a millionaire or if I have just given my last dollar to a friend, it is always important for me to be happy.
September 10, 2009 at 7:38 am
you know what they say when there’s always someone worst off then you are! sometimes the body tells you to stop and rest for a very good reason! having lived with the HIV virus for 20 years I never used to listen to my body until now when I try to push it too far and he(my body) tells me off in no uncertain terms! as the dalai Lama said:” yesterday is history, today is a presnt and tomorrow a mystery!” live every minute like it was your last to make sure you have tons of good memories to tell your children or friends! what is the point of saying I wish I had….!
Pascal
September 10, 2009 at 8:41 am
This message came at time when I’m going
through some negative crap. What you said
reminded me that my life ain’t that bad.
Thanks again, Davey. Hope you heal quickly.
September 10, 2009 at 9:22 am
Dude… you are by far the perfect man! xx
September 10, 2009 at 11:02 am
Jogging is a very unhealthy activity,
Especially bad for the knees,
Doubly bad when running on concrete.
Try a more healthy exercise activity like rowing, swimming or possibly cycling.
It will avoid an unhappy artritic Davey in old age.
September 10, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Years ago, I was walking down the street in a depressed mood, and I muttered under my breath that I was the most miserable man in the world. In the precise moment I flattered myself so, I saw a woman who wore the scars of burns over her entire body. Walking immediately after her was a man whose physical impairments demanded he hold his arm in an unnatural position as he hobbled in my direction. I immediately got the message.
September 10, 2009 at 2:07 pm
while i think many of your comments are store bought, you may be winning me over.
i prefer the quote, “don’t sweat the petty stuff; and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.” although, petting the sweaty stuff has its own rewards.
September 10, 2009 at 2:17 pm
hey davey i’m here again, do you remember me?
i’m the Rodrigo Tanuri but now i’m 17 yars old.
yeah, my birthday is in september, 5.
when you will come here to Brazil, hum? if you didn’t forget, i live in São Paulo, to be more especific in Santo André, the adress i can tell you later. XD
yeah, we’re gonna have some fun here.
i hope you come here soon, very soon.;D
bye-bye
September 10, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Love BRENT EVERETT. Lol.
Love and Peace
Jack
September 10, 2009 at 3:47 pm
What you said really made me feel better about myself today, feeling sorry for myself and I really have a lot to be thankful for! Thanks!!
September 10, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Thank you for helping me slowly gain my perspective back on life. I had lost it for a while.
September 10, 2009 at 4:52 pm
The story you tell is totally completed by the pic. I’m sure you know that already. Thanks for pointing out how fortunate most of us are and that we have so many good things to be grateful for.
September 10, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Kenneth Livingston: i am in total-agreement, and i could-Not have expressed-it any more accurately or “Spot-On”, regarding Davey. Ty Ken, as well as other “Spot-On” commenters of whom preceded you. P and L to All, _ _ davvi
September 10, 2009 at 9:03 pm
… … and All commenters After-you,as well, Ken. And i “echo Jack” regarding Brent Everett. Also Zak Efron, Kris Kranz and Shannon of Shannon’s Blogspot. And it’s-a-Given that you, Davey are included, First-off in the aforementioned names. i Want You to “Get-Well-SOON!!!”, *Davey. P and L, _ _ davvi
September 10, 2009 at 10:30 pm
I see the picture, and love happens in my heart.
Lust in my mind. Lust wins, I went close to monitor and kissed your chest, wow.
you are just adorable
September 11, 2009 at 3:51 am
The exact same thing happened to me. I was running 6-8mi/day and got shin splints (again) pretty quickly. After letting my legs heal, I switched to barefoot running and running with 5-toe vibrams. The idea is that barefoot running allows you to develop your running at a natural speed that doesn’t wear down your body.