A hyphema is internal bleeding in your eye. It’s not good. A sudden and angry impact to your face can cause one of these. For me it was an overzealous 14-year-old boy named Skippy. I played first base and Skippy was playing second. It was in-between innings and I was throwing the ball around the horn. Skippy decided to strut his stuff a bit when it came his way. From less than 10 feet away, that ball left his hand like a mortar. Mortars don’t typically curve above your glove but baseballs do.
The urgent care attendant diagnosed it when I told her I couldn’t see anything but a white sheet out of my right eye. After visiting an ophthalmologist and receiving drops to relieve the pressure that causes permanent damage, I was instructed to take a few weeks off of baseball. Probably not a bad idea considering I had no depth perception.
That’s the summer I taught myself how to play guitar. My older brother had an even older junior acoustic guitar. The action (distance from strings to fretboard) was so high that it wasn’t easy to play. I could have used a set of bionic hands. I eventually regained my sight and was cleared to play baseball which I did. I kept up the guitar though. I eventually got into bands in high school and college. Some cliches are true. Girls like a guy in a band. That’s how I met my wife. 5 years later we were married and I came home from work in a less than pleasant mood. It was November so she asked me what I wanted for Christmas.
“How about a new job?”
The next day she went in to her work, a salon, and was making small talk with a new client. She told this woman how I had responded to the question. This woman went on to suggest that I contact her as she worked for a group of radio stations. I interviewed and despite not having some of the typical characteristics of a sales and marketing professional I was given a chance. That was a big moment. A year later some changes were made in the organization and teams were being shuffled. Because I had shared my college photography portfolio with another manager, he chose to put me on his team. That was another big moment. A few years later I had an idea to enhance the company’s offerings that I was convinced was worth pursuing. Not enough of the right people agreed. I’m okay with that. To them I am perpetually grateful.
If I hadn’t been hit in the eye with a baseball,
If I hadn’t learned how to play the guitar,
If my wife hadn’t spoken up,
If I hadn’t been given a chance,
If I hadn’t exposed myself to failure,
If I hadn’t failed,
You wouldn’t be reading this.
Now it’s your turn. “If I hadn’t _____.” I’d love to hear your fill in the blank. Just click reply to this post and we’ll get it lickety-split.
