On June 15, 1979 I was in a car accident…and I made it through (duh, I’m writing this!). Just a remember to myself how important rehabilitation following an injury really is. And a shout out to you my attorney readers to realize rehabilitation is so important for so many people for so many reasons.
Thank all rehabilitation counselors and all the people who care about other people’s life!
Read more about it (the car accident) here How did I Get into Rehab Counseling? Here’s a Little Story posted November 21, 2011.
What makes my story even more special to me is that I “ran” into the woman who saved my life a few years back on a Saturday (June 6, 2015) at the Iowa Falls Boat Club for a memorial service (for a friend of many who committed suicide).
I was sitting across from a woman at a banquet table with my sister Janice and two other people. After chatting with the two, I asked the woman directly across the table what her name was (silly me).
Teri knew who I was and after it dawned on me (because my sister whispered to me) I stopped, thanked God, thanked Teri, and asked her if I could give her a hug! Which I did.
I did visit her back in 1979 and brought her a thank you gift after I was feeling okay to do so, but I hadn’t seen her for a long time so I didn’t recognize her.
Thank You Teri
Upon considering all that happened that day, I was 15 and Teri was 17 or 18, and she literally saved my life! Teri came upon the scene that night, called 911 and stayed with me until the ambulance arrived, even riding in the ambulance until we arrived at the hospital in town. She didn’t leave me until I was transported to another hospital out of town (Mason City). From what I heard later, the medical staff and others involved in my early care thought she was a nurse!
Green Gran Torino
I was riding in the car behind the passenger seat of a green Gran Torino, and I was not wearing a seatbelt. I used to despise Gran Torinos, especially green ones, until Randy pointed out the bulk of the front end of the vehicle was another huge part in saving my life.
While at the Boat Club (the club on the river has an interesting history and continues to store memories), before the lovely boat ride on the Scenic City Empress, I took a picture of a picture. Here’s Arthur, my neighbor in Iowa Falls for many years, skiing many moons ago. He really was talented!
I also took a picture of this chair made of old skis. Pretty cool, huh!
Here’s the waterfall on the Iowa River, (shh, it’s “man” made)! Janice, my sister, is the blonde with her hand over her face.
Life really brings surprises, talent and beauty. Live it to it’s fullest and you won’t be disappointed. Each and every day is a new beginning. I know what it’s like to almost lose your life.
Use What You Got! If you click here you’ll read a 2011 article about me from the Des Moines Register (and see another picture of the Iowa River.)
So, in closing of this blog, I stray from my loving attitude and will end this post as such:
You can find this train car in Hampton, Iowa and flip it off if you’d like…for me!
The lawsuit against Rock Island Railroad was a failure. Maybe we chose the wrong attorney, perhaps the timing was bad as the railroad went bankrupt, perhaps we should’ve settled, or perhaps the jury simply wasn’t given all the information or didn’t understand the case.
There were no cross bucks….the train had parked for the night until the conductor or whoever realized the few box cars (no caboose) were covering the tracks. You see that’s why the train moved, dragging that green car with me (my head that is) implanted on one of the bolts of the box car…. Thank goodness the car stopped right before the ravine.
It’s ironic to me that in the earlier years of my career (as a self-employed rehabilitation counselor), I worked on many railroad cases involving disability (the workers’ compensation cases were assigned to me from a rehabilitation counselor out of Omaha).
I learned a lot of the nature of the work involved and to this day, I am prepared, willing and able to do all I can to help you represent your client. Let me know how I can help you with your legal cases.
515-778-0634 or amyebotkin@lcpresourcesplus.com
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My professional rehabilitation counseling practice is focused on helping people participate in the world around them, particularly in their own world of work.
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