The Game that changed my life.

byAlveyRogers

114 followers

3 years ago

Perspective, is kind of a weird thing. Especially when your in you early twenty's, have the world by the tail, or at least you think you do. I can remember back then when I thought I did. And then,.... BAM......., you get benched from the game of life, then everything changes.

I moved to central Ohio in 1986. Moved there from Texas, got in a little trouble down there, lol. Moved there to be with my parents. Got a good paying construction job and things were going pretty well. Started to go back to church with my Mom and made some really good friends there. Some of the guys in the church played basketball on Sunday evenings at a high school gym and had asked me if I would like to join them? Well, I was intrigued about it, so I said I would come and see what it was all about. I loved basketball so I was excited to go and actually have a good place to play and have good fellowship with some new friends.

Oh! did I have some fun. I could always shoot pretty good hoops, but never good enough for a team. But, I did so love the game and it was on December 20th 1987 when my BAM moment hit me. Well this kid should have been named BAMBAM, lol..... Last play of the game, I was going down court. My fellow teammate passed the ball to me. I was headed to the hoop for a lay up not knowing that BAMBAM was behind me. I went up, laid up the ball for the scoring point and when my left leg hit the wood, I felt excruciating pain as I grabbed my left knee. I looked down to where the pain was and realized that my tibia and fibula had been broken. I mean, how many times have I said that I had never had any broken bones from my race car driving, motorcycle racing etc..... But now I have two broken bones doing nothing but playing basketball. As I write this, looking back on what I have learned because of this one sideline, this one benching of life,.... I have to chuckle.

I believe there is a higher calling or purpose if you will. I believe that some people need to be slowed down to realize a bigger picture. Whether it is called happenstance, karma, GOD or whatever some may call it, I do think things happen in our lives to teach us to slow down, take a pause and reflect.

My pause lasted a year and a half. After surgery and 4 days in the hospital, I was allowed to go home, on December 24th, and let the healing begin. I tell you that was a journey. My bones did not heal very quickly. Ended up with a lot of consults that ended with me having to wear a magnetic pulse device around my lower leg in hopes of getting more iron and other goodies I needed to heal in that area. Spent a lot of time on my back reflecting for sure. Thought about work and having no money to pay for what just happened. Thinking about the relationship that I had with GOD, but I was like some of the others. I thought, I was invincible, so with that frame of mind, I was one of those people that used GOD as a crutch, a spare tire. Only talked or communed with Him when I needed Him. Well, I tell you, when your slowed down and cannot do anything but look up from your bed, your perspective certainly changes.

Mine sure did. I thought, prayed, talked....thought some more.......

I remember my mother coming into the room one day and we talked. I said Mom," you know my situation now, and I was thinking..... I said, you know one dollar isn't worth much these days is it?" I love a cold Coke, and back in 87, a coke would set you back 1.25 for a bottle. I said to her "you know there are 3.4 million people in the nearest city, if I could produce a product that cost $1.00 to produce and I could sell it for $2.00. If it was a product that was needed and 10% of those people would buy it, I would make $340,000 dollars profit. Now, one dollar isn't worth much, but if I had 340,000 of them stacked on a table, now that would be something, wouldn't it?" Her eyes lit up and she asked " what are you gonna do?"

I had no idea, it was just that,....an idea. What I knew was is that I needed a job. I was finally able to walk, albeit, not well on crutches, but I was able to get a job. A job that trained me enough that I started my own business. 30 years later, I still haven't given up on my dream and my idea. My perspective and knowledge has changed tho......

You see with the internet and learning about affiliate marketing, That is a complete game changer. Why make anything for 1 buck and sell it for 2, when you can own nothing, sell someone else's product and make more than 2 bucks....LOL

Semi-retired, because the knowledge I have learned gets me and takes me to this point in my life, well plus I still love to work.

I am thankful for the lessons. I am thankful for the broken leg that slowed me down to realize, reflect and get a new perspective on things. I am thankful for the opportunities like this one, Wealthy Affiliates. Thankful for the creators of this platform and community as well as all the community members we haven't met yet. What an absolute AWESOME time we are living in.....

#BeBlessed