If you want to hear God laugh tell Him that you have a plan.... Anonymous

The initial plan was to enjoy my September 4th Labor Day morning, by casually running some errands through my hometown. I was running these errands on the holiday because on September 8th I was going to fly to Cali Columbia and ride my bicycle to Argentina as a part of a charity effort.

The plan was to drive through various Philadelphia neighborhoods, pick up one more piece of camping gear, share a muffin with a good friend, return a good friend's truck and then go read up on the other cities and neighborhoods in Colombia and Ecuador, while relaxing in the park. A great plan in a great city...I never got more than 2 miles from my house.

Two youths driving under the influence, in a speeding car, ran a light and hit me as I was driving through the intersection. No screeching tires, no horns, no warning – just impact. From the point of where our cars collided, to the point of where my car stopped was over 150 feet. Where I am physically and emotionally from that moment is a lot farther. The car, my plans and my life were pointed in a vastly different direction than where they landed.

Laptop, cell phone, glasses, sunglasses, data, phone numbers, information – all smashed and gone. I had corneal abrasions from debris and stuff flying through the air – which have healed, although my doctor thought my eyes were still damaged until I pointed out that I could only see the big E on the eye chart before the accident-hey, bad vision can be funny sometimes. My neck and back were stiff, but are doing well now. My knee, my knee. When I was pulled from the wreckage I saw my knee, literally. I could see exposed bone. As it turns out, there was a knob from the car lodged in my leg that could only been seen though an X-ray. The extraction of the knob-see picture- hurt like hell, even with the major drugs that they administered to me.

Emotionally, I vacillate from my normal confident self to someone less bold that I don't even know. Damn, this is a tough test.

I am lucky. So, so very lucky. I am lucky to be here. I am lucky to have no broken bones. I am lucky to have my sight – the doctor said that my eyewear probably protected my right eye – shout out to Prada Eyewear. I am just plain old lucky. For those that found out and have said prayers and called – thank you. For those that are just hearing this for the first time and will pray for me – thank you too. For all of those that I will be calling on to hug me, cheer me up and keep me going though whatever rehab process I will have to do – thank you in advance.

Over a week ago, I got the best possible results from the MRI- a bone contusion or a bone bruise. I have been given the green light to start water therapy and now, more than a month after the accident, can walk without a cane or crutch. I think that my gait looks like a stroll but my friends say that I look like I am limping- but what do they know. With additional work, therapy, prayers and luck I will be back on track to tackle South America in ‘07

God may be laughing, the timetable may be shifted but it will take a lot more that this to stop me from cycling my 3rd continent, and I hope that whatever your plans are, you too will pursue them through thick and thin.

Thank you

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