A fter my injury, a diving accident that left me a quadriplegic, I was delirious for three weeks. That was the only way my psyche could deal with the shock. I was absolutely terrified that I’d become a social leper, that my social life was over. Luckily I was crazy enough to want everything I wanted before the accident: I wanted an exciting career, I wanted to be in love. And eventually those things happened. At the beginning I thought being quadriplegic was the most horrible thing on earth. I still can’t imagine there being a more horrible thing that someone can experience and still be alive.
But also it’s a kind of marvelous thing to go through: An odyssey to hell and back. If everyone could do it and come out ablebodied I’d really recommend it. I think it does a beautiful thing for you. It was profound and wonderful even if a lot of it’s hideous. Once you’ve become disabled you can’t be on automatic pilot anymore. You can be a human pinball, batted around and kept going by others. You’ve been spun out, either out of control or under your own control, the choice becomes clear.
I’ve discovered that things I thought I couldn’t live without, a job, I can live without. And that’s wonderful feeling. I want a life without fear. So I like these cherry bombs that shake up my life. I love comfort and security but I learn from the upsets.