I went for a walk of a mile and a half today.  This was the first time I walked more than twenty yards at once since September 20, 2015.  Cliff note version for those of you not aware:  Had pneumonia, lead to a heart block, heart rate dropped to twenty-two, died and came back, saw heaven, begged for a second chance, had a pacemaker installed and here I sit today trying to get back on track.  I am a changed person.  Some have called it a spiritual awakening.  I’m not sure what it was but I do know I’m grateful and that I have a specific purpose.   That will come to me through prayer.  More details can be found HERE.

There were some other things that happened during my hospital stay that substantiated that what happened was for a reason.  I like to give people nicknames.  One of my doctor’s at Wellington Regional was quite young.  I called him Doogie Howzer.  He stopped in the one day to see how I was feeling.  I told him my story of dying and coming back and he was hanging on my every word.  He then took my hand, squeezed it and said “You must understand that you have returned for a reason.   I have no doubt that you will do great things.  You must be patient and trust in God.  He will show you the way.”  This freaked me out.  The feeling in the room was more than intense.  He made me feel like his presence in my room was more than just medical it was like he was a spiritual messenger.  Some of you may say “You were on drugs” but I wasn’t.  The only time I was on drugs that affected the mind was when I had my permanent pacemaker installed.

Another time at Wellington Regional one of the doctors that saved my life dropped by.  He insisted I call him “Bo Bo.”  We were talking about what happened and what I saw before they brought me back.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.  The ring has a cross on it and ten silver “beads.”  It’s a mini-rosary and the beads are for “Hail Mary’s.”    He insisted I take the ring and then he explained how he volunteers with the Knights of Columbus and invited me to join him when I get to feeling better.   I have to be honest.  These events were giving me the chills.  I was never super-religious.  I believed in the Golden Rule and a Supreme Being.  There wasn’t a doubt in my mind at this point that there is so much more waiting for us.

I was transferred to JFK Medical Center for the installation of my pacemaker.  The night before I was released I was transferred out of ICU to a regular room.  I had a male Asian nurse.  His name was June.  He would be off duty at 7AM and around 5AM that morning he came in to run some tests.  I gave him the cliff note version of what happened to me and then he looked at me and said “You are back for a reason.”  He then went on to say every answer you are looking for can be found in the Bible.  He was particularly fond of Revelation and how it applies to things that are happening in the world today.  He told me to just trust in God and you will find your way to your purpose and return to productivity.  At this point I think I said to myself and God “I get it.  Let’s do this.”

Again let me stress that I am not going to be a bible thumper that comes knocking on your door or someone dragging a cross to a street corner so I can scream from scripture.  I still have my cutting, politically incorrect and caustic sense of humor in fact it’s probably stronger and more focused than ever before.  I share these extra details with you so that you may better understand what I went through and how it wasn’t a “coincidence.”

Enjoy your day and the rest of your weekend.  I am working on another podcast I hope to have posted by the end of tomorrow.  Thanks again for your time in reading my blog.