“Truth Moment”

I was on my way in to work at the hospital yesterday morning, already wishing I was at the beach or in bed rather than facing a morning of work, when I noticed cops at every street corner and one whole lane of traffic blocked off with cones, then all of sudden a police officer steps out into the street and stops the car just in front of me.  I see a runner go by, then another, then a few more, and finally realized that I may be sitting here a while – the CHKD RunWalk was yesterday and involved hundreds and hundreds of runners.  Had I not been scheduled to work yesterday, I probably would’ve been out there with them trucking along (at my own slow walking pace), but I was on my way in to see an 8:00 patient and did not have time to spare.  I sat there for a few minutes, at first smiling as I watched the runners go by with strollers and friends, and even some in costumes, but as the clock continued to tick along I began to get more and more frustrated… ”Cop, can you just let us go through?  I’m sure my car would fit through those two runners right there. Those ladies don’t care about their race time, just make them stop so I can go through. Seriously!  Just hurry up already!”  I sat there for 15 minutes, and just as I was about to lose it, I looked over to the other side of the street and saw the very first runners come by me on the opposite side.  These are the hardcore guys – the ones who could lap me 14 times had I been walking this race.  And then, around the corner, comes a dad and his teenage son, pushed along in a sling-style running wheelchair.  This boy couldn’t have been older than 16 and was obviously a quadraplegic.  As he came around the corner and saw the line of cars that by now was filled with very annoyed and frustrated drivers, he lifted up his fist and pumped it in the air, so excited about his ranks within the racers at the very front of the group.  He was so happy and so thrilled to be pushed along in his chair, his smile beaming from ear to ear and his arm waving excitedly in the air.  And suddenly I had that “truth moment”, which was more like a “God hit me across the side of the head for being so ungrateful” moment, and I realized how very lucky I am to be sitting here in my car, waiting in traffic, on my way to work, on a Saturday morning.