Gimp is Pimp

Just a little over three years ago I was recovering from a broken knee. It was mid day on a Saturday afternoon, in my bedroom of the sorority house I was living in. With a room full of other housemates hanging out I got out of my bed like I had done a million times before, but this specific instance my foot got caught on my comforter. In the what seemed like a slight shift to release myself from its hold... I dislocated my knee. Two weeks later I had surgery removing bone, repairing/attaching ligaments, and putting my knee cap back in place. I spent over 4 months in a knee immobilizer and after three months of physical theapy I still couldn't bend my knee over 30 degrees. I lived in a three story house with no elevator, was going to school at a place nicknamed the "hilltop" and I dreaded many of the simple tasks we do without thinking (walking, getting in and out of the car, sitting in chair, taking a shower, walking across the stage for graduation, steps.. you name it, and it was difficult because I couldn't bend my knee).

I guess as time has passed I had blocked some of those horrible memories but this past weekend when I had some sorority sisters visiting, I busted out my knee immobilizer and walked around just to be funny. It was funny, but at the same time my mind got flooded with memories of that horrible time in my life. At that time I was so depressed; I was told I was never going to be the same ever again and I left the hospital in tears after every visit....it was ruining my senior year in college. It was a touchy subject for me. But now that so much time had passed the girls decided to bust out stories of way back when I was gimp (as we liked to call it). It's interesting to hear other people interpretation of how they perceive your life. But they made me remember all the bad things I mentioned in the first paragraph and more. Apparently I didn't hide the fact I was struggling very well.

It's crazy how quickly life can change in just a matter of moments with no rhyme or reason for the cause. But breaking my knee opened my eyes... It taught me not to take for granted simple things, like mobility. Be thankful for all the amazing things we do have and it also gave me so much empathy for people with handicaps. If you see someone struggling, help them out. If you can't find a parking spot, don't take the handicapped one because the 100 steps it takes you from the back of the parking lot could seem like 10 miles for someone that struggles.

I am so glad my friends and I brought up when gimp was pimp this past weekend because I needed to be reminded. Now that every moment isn't painful or a contstant reminder of my injury I have started to take for granted what was once taken from me. Because now I CAN....I can now walk, sit, dance, climb steps, jog, I can wear heels like its my job, I can just be me. From the average eye no one would have any idea that anything had every happened to me. And I think God he gave me back that opportunity.

I just want to remind people to live life to the fullest. You can plan out your life all you want but you can't predict what will actually happen. Live in the moment and while it may be hard sometimes, be grateful for everything God has given you/or in some cases taken away.