By G. E.
Shuman
This most
unusual day, of which I am about to tell you, happened not long ago. In fact,
I’ll tell you exactly when. It’s no secret, and, although it won’t mean a great
deal, or add much to the story, I think you should know when it was. That way,
if someone asks you when George’s most unusual day was, (they won’t,) you can
tell them.
The exact
day was October 18th of this year. It was a Friday, as I recall, but
‘recalling’ is something I’m not known for doing well; at least not lately.
October 18th of this year was a day like many others; at least it
started out that way and was proceeding that way… right up to the point that it
wasn’t. Our daughter, Emily, had been visiting with our new grandson, and had
left less than an hour before that point when it was no longer a day like many
others.
The
afternoon was progressing along just swimmingly, as they used to say. Lorna was
watching her fav ‘chick’ type, or more like ‘grandma-chick’ type TV show,
(something about birthing babies, midwives, and such,) and “I don’t know
nothin’ about birthin’ no babies,” as someone else once said.
I mentioned
to Lorna that I was going to go take Babi out for a ride. Babi is my antique
VW, (It’s the blue and white one you may have seen around town.) I’m quite sure
she replied with an ‘okay’. (Lorna, not Babi.) Anyway, within minutes I had
walked down our driveway and onto the sidewalk in front of our old house. I do
remember bending over to straighten up a wind-blown political sign on the lawn,
(Thanks Michael B.) and then straightened myself back up, probably too quickly,
and became dizzy in the process.
Now comes
the unusual-day part. You see, I was suddenly seeing double as I continued down
the two sidewalks that were usually one. I crossed the street to the garage
where my VW sleeps and, even though there were now four garage doors instead of
two, as there used to be, I pressed the remote that was in my hand and opened at
least one of those doors. I then actually walked to the car door, unlocked it,
opened it, and stood there looking at the ‘two’ Volkswagens I now seemed to
own. (Yes, I would love to have two, but not that way, I somehow
reasoned.)
You know, I
really wanted to get in the car and take it for a ride, but somehow came to my
double-visioned senses enough to realize I probably shouldn’t do that. With
this decision I shut the car door, then the garage door, and headed back across
the street toward the house.
Lorna has
mentioned that God must have been there with me in those moments, as, by this
time, I was, for some reason, dragging my right leg and foot through the fallen
leaves on the walk. “Now that’s strange,” I thought, as I watched my foot plow
through the leaves. I really had no thoughts of fear or trepidation as I
walked, (At that point I probably couldn’t have even spelled trepidation if I
had wanted to,) and, in fact, dropped the remote in the leaves, looked around
for it, and found it, before I headed up the steep driveway to the back door of
the house.
As Lorna
sometimes relates all of this to a friend or relative, she always mentions that
God Himself must have held my hand as I went up that driveway. Indeed, He might
have, as I have little memory of it. If I had passed out, out there I would
have been there for some time. After all, I had told Lorna that I would be
going out with Babi. She wouldn’t have expected me back for a while. I also
didn’t have my phone, even though I wasn’t thinking about that either at the
time.
I did get to
the back door, opened it, and evidently, told my dear wife that I thought I was
having a stroke, which was exactly what was happening. Then, with lots of love,
clear thinking, and a 911 call, Lorna saved my life. She really did. Before the
ambulance even arrived, I had lost consciousness several times and was unable
to speak or walk. I am still sorry for scaring her so.
Soon I was
in the hospital and awoke with most of my family encircling my bed. My first
thought at that time was something like ‘Oh crap, they’re all here… this must
be it.’ Still, honestly, I wasn’t the
least bit afraid. In fact, I remember feeling a genuinely great peace. It was strange
to me that all these wonderful, supportive people seemed so worried.
To make this
story a bit shorter, let me just say that, at this writing I simply have
everything back, which, to me and my family, is a miracle, or the result of
many miracles. I had received a powerful ‘clot-busting’ medication in time and was
soon back to whatever level of normalcy I had once had. (Sorry, this is all
there ever was.)
God has been
incredibly good to me, and I learned at least three things that most unusual
day. I hope I never forget them.
Firstly, if we
are saved; if our hearts are right with God, there is no need to fear the
future, or even death. You have heard that before, but it really is true.
Secondly, we
have no promise of tomorrow, so today must be lived, and appreciated,
passionately.
Thirdly, you
may have the second-best spouse and family in the world, but I have the best.
