On July 23, 2022 something surprising happened to me.
My husband Gary and I were taking a gorgeous ride on our adventure-touring motorcycles down a long, gravel road, between Longview and Crowsnest Pass (on the 940). We had ridden about 125km on gravel, had a lovely dinner in Coleman, and were riding back toward Calgary again on the same road. Suddenly, my bike hit a large rock buried in the gravel which came dislodged and sent my bike into a tailspin.
The bike fishtailed back and forth, and I must have had quite the grip on it, as it then flipped end over end, and pinned me under it, landing on my head and left shoulder area. I was knocked unconscious.
I literally do not remember any of this incident, and still don’t as of this date (luckily Gary helped me fill in the details!)
Gary was riding right in front of me, saw the whole thing, and went into immediate action. After lifting my motorcycle off of me, Gary used his emergency SOS device as we were beyond cellular range, and called for help while he tried to get me conscious, which fortunately took only about 10 – 15 minutes.
It took about 1.5 – 2 hours for emergency services to arrive (since it was a remote area) but there were certainly many resources on deck: police, ambulance, fire, emergency rescue, paramedics, and STARS air ambulance. The paramedics cut off most of my motorcycle gear (which sure did its job) and I was airlifted to Foothills Hospital. Diagnosis: 7 fractured ribs, a bruised lung, a partially-separated shoulder, a mild concussion, and a lot of bruises!
I was in the hospital for a few days, and was very happy to have my son visit me there (who also lives in Calgary). My daughter flew out to visit as well. My husband has been helping me with every little thing ever since – from getting shoes on and off to insisting on lots of rest.
I am now very happy to be back at work, and have been thinking about the accident and “what it all means”. I think it was the Universe telling me (or slapping me to get my attention!) that life comes down to finding balance…metaphorical to balancing on a motorcycle!
I love my business, and the work I do. I am finding it easier to now prioritize the things that matter, and do them slowly and savouringly. When I’ve had meetings since my accident, I am finding myself enjoying the people more, listening more carefully, and making each interaction count. I am determined to let the Universe’s lesson stick – because I know that if I don’t, I’ll probably get a worse slap later!
After all, you never know how long you’ll get on this earth, so you might as well pay the most possible attention to the good things that are in front of you right now instead of worrying about what’s next.
I am so incredibly grateful for all of the emergency services personnel who helped me that night…we are so lucky to have skilled and caring people who can work miracles on a moment’s notice wherever they are needed.
And thank you to the Universe, for smartening me up, and giving me a whole new perspective!
