You may have heard the proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Sometimes, a long journey starts with a misstep.
May 20 marked the start of a more than four-month journey with my shoulder. I blew out my left shoulder while doing a lateral fly exercise.
My surgery was June 25; the past 12 weeks have been spent in physical therapy, trying to get the shoulder back into shape.
My journey through physical therapy ended Oct. 1.
That said, I still must do home exercises as the injured wing heals.
As I left physical therapy for the last time, my main physical therapist — who has gotten to know me well — warned me about pushing too hard and overdoing things.
In many ways, the shoulder surgery and physical therapy were humbling experiences; I was forced to accept my limitations.
But the experience also has been humbling in another way; I’ve felt the community's outpouring of support.
Working for the News Bulletin, I have an opportunity to build real relationships with coaches and players, along with many parents, grandparents and other fans.
It’s nice to know you don’t take it personally when I write about the mistake your son or daughter makes at a key moment in a game. Just as I try to support our local athletes in their quest for success on the playing fields, many of you have supported me in this quest for recovery.
I have heard the genuine concern in your voices as you’ve asked about the shoulder. Others have reminded me to stick with the program my physical therapists gave me.
Yes, I’ve felt like I was surrounded by family these last three months. That really didn’t surprise me, though, as I experienced a similar outpouring of support when my dad died two years ago.
In the days and weeks to come, I’ll get back up to full speed. As my recovery continues, I hope to be able to do even more in covering our local athletes.
For now, I just wanted to thank the community for the support, and let you know I’m getting better every day.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DICKSON: A journey in healing