I had the opportunity to share my story with over 6,000 nurses last week in Philadelphia at the AORN Congress.It made me reflect on the skilled nurses that cared for me during those first long weeks after I was shot.
30 years ago today, President Ronald Regan was also shot.
Denise Sullivan, a nurse at George Washington University remembers the day well.She received a hand written letter almost a decade later from the then former president.He said “Your hand clasp was one of the most comforting things done for me during my stay,” Reagan wrote, describing his gratitude toward a nurse who hovered by his bedside in the hours after surgeons removed a would-be assassin’s bullet lodged just an inch from his heart.
Kathy Paul Stevens was one of the first nurses to see the president as he hobbled through the doors. He looked ashen and very sick, and suddenly collapsed into the arms of nurses and agents. To Stevens and other medical personnel, Reagan looked like he might die. While tending to the president, Stevens’s hands shook, and only one thought went through her head: Please don’t die, please don’t die, and please don’t die. Not here. Not today. Please don’t die.
Another nurse, Wendy Koenig, battled back tears as she strapped an inflatable cuff on the president’s arm to ascertain his blood pressure. But she couldn’t hear anything through her stethoscope.
“I can’t get a systolic pressure,” Koenig said in near panic while other nurses and technicians sliced off Reagan’s new blue suit and hooked up IV lines that would provide critical fluids to help prevent the president from slipping into shock. Finally, Koenig got a reading: around 60 — very low for a man whose normal blood pressure was 140.
President Regan was rushed into surgery to successfully remove a bullet from his lung.
Over the next few hours, two other nurses would take over the president’s care — Joanne Bell and Marisa Mize.
Soon after surgery and in recovery, Reagan began writing notes to Mize. “What does the future hold?” the president wrote at one point. Mize, 26, wasn’t quite sure what he meant, nor did she know how to answer. As she thought about how to respond, Reagan scribbled, “Will I be able to do ranch work, ride, etc.?”
“Give yourself three months,” Mize told him, “and you’ll be able to do those things again.”
A few months after the shooting, Reagan began trying to track down the nurses who had comforted him through the difficult night. One afternoon, Mize received a call from the White House, and before long she was on the phone with the president. “You were the one who told me it was okay to be scared and that you wouldn’t leave me,” Reagan said. “Nancy thanks you. God bless you.”
Years later, Nancy Reagan was touring a different hospital where Mize happened to be working. Mize approached the first lady but barely get out an introduction before she was enveloped in a tight hug. “I know who you are, Marisa Mize,” Nancy Reagan said.
I wish to thank the nurses that took care of me during my darkest hours.The first time I laughed after that November 11th was because of a trick played on an unsuspecting nurse.
I think it should officially be “Thank a Nurse Day”!
Part of this article is adapted from Wilber’s new book, “Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan” (Henry Holt)
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get our drivers license, we get married; have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.
The truth is there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with… and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting… Until your car or home is paid off Until you get a new car or home Until your kids leave the house Until you go back to school Until you finish school Until you lose 10 lbs. Until you gain 10 lbs. Until you get married Until you get a divorce Until you have kids Until you retire Until summer Until spring Until winter Until fall Until you die
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching.
This is a great story I received the other day and wanted to share. It’s a little long, but worth your time. The author is unknown.
RED MARBLES
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
‘Hello Barry, how are you today?’
‘H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.’
‘They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?’
‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.’
‘Good. Anything I can help you with?’
‘No, Sir . Jus’ admirin’ them peas.’
‘Would you like to take some home?’ asked Mr. Miller.
‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ‘em with.’
‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?’
‘All I got’s my prize marble here.’
‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller.
‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.’
‘I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?’ the store owner asked.
‘Not zackley but almost..’
‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble’. Mr. Miller told the boy.
‘Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.’
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they co me back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.’
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts…all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.
Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.
‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size….they came to pay their debt.’
“We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,” she confided, “but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho”.
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath..
I remember as a kid, hearing my Dad talk about how fast time flies; I just know that if I blink I’m going to miss something. (Like keeping up on my blog)
I’ve had a great summer so far enjoying this beautiful world that we live in.  I’ve traveled from Banff, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana and from San Francisco, California to Providence, Rhode Island (and a lot of places in between). The thing I find so interesting is that no matter where I go, the world is a beautiful place and full of amazing people.   I must admit I agree with J.D. Sallinger when he said “I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.â€Â
I want to share one of my favorite quotes. It was written by Charles Swindoll and has meant a lot to me over the years:
 Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.
The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
Bring on winter – I’m ready to “fall†apart! Just a little seasonal humor to start off this week’s blog! The pace hasn’t slowed much from September. I was reunited with a good friend of mine, Jeff Curtiss, who brought me to speak for his company Helius. The setting for this speech was beautiful Park City, Utah. My wife, Tami, accompanied me on this speech, which just added to the natural beauty of the mountains. Then I was called upon to present to the good people of Coca-Cola in Atlanta Georgia. Due to my rigorous September schedule, I was struggling to keep my voice. I told them I made the mistake of drinking a Pepsi on my way to Atlanta. That brought a good chuckle.
From Atlanta, I flew to Beaumont, Texas. There I was greeted by a long time associate and friend, Richard Gagne. I spoke to Richard’s associates and then went to the prison the next day. I wound up the month with four speeches in a row – Skamania and Tacoma Washington, La Cross Wisconsin and Phoenix Arizona.
Everywhere I go the people of this great country greet me with warm smiles, sharing little bits and pieces of themselves and their lives. We cry, we share quiet moments and best of all… we laugh. As I travel great distances each month, I have found the shortest distance between two people is laughter. Laughter is an instant vacation, and who of us couldn’t use a vacation! It’s a blessing to do what I do.
September was insane! I think I logged more sky miles than most pilots! I started in sunny Orlando and spoke for Robert Cairns and Allstate. I was truly in good hands with the good hands people! From Orlando, I flew back to my home state, and spoke in Price, Utah, for the Division of Child Family Services. What a bunch of caring and hardworking people! From Price, I jumped back on an airplane and flew to Branson, Missouri. I spoke at the College of the Ozarks or “Hard Work U.” The students at this liberal arts college impressed me with their spirituality and patriotism. From Branson, I came west, a little closer to home, to Colorado Springs. I was the guest of Colorado’s finest - the Colorado State Patrol. Many thanks to Chief Trostel and Marc Morelli for taking such fine care of me. I promise to never speed under their watch! Then from the mountains to the beach - back to Florida. This time I was in the panhandle, in a little resort called Destin. I was the guest of Mr Pug Scoville and the finest bunch of realtors from Tennessee! We had a wonderful time together. I’d like to take a moment and give a shout out to my new buddy Trasbin Stoner. Hey buddy!! Thanks for everthing! From Destin, I traveled to my second home, Des Moines, Iowa, where I spoke for the lovely Jenni Gardner and Principal Financial Group. The good people at PFG are like my second family, I spend so much time with them. I also have two brothers who work for Principal and had the pleasure of staying in a hotel with one of them during my short stay there. Next up - from the plains of Iowa, to Reno Nevada with the Nevada Chapter of Associated General Contractors. Melinda Elizondo put on a really superb meeting at the Atlantis. She and John Madole were excellent hosts and I thank them for their efforts. Back on the plane again, heading to Wisconsin this time, where I got to play 007 - that’s Schlappi…Mike Schlappi - for the Wisconsin Realtors Association. I don’t think I made a very good James Bond though as he is usually the one doing the shooting and not getting shot at! Regardless, we had fun and it was a great meeting. Then I left Wisconsin Dells and headed back east to Rye Brook, New York and Bob Summa and the gang at Independent Financial Group. After the presentation, I went golfing with my good friend Steve Becker and others. How do I golf you may wonder? I drive the cart and use a club to push the gas and brake. I managed to stay out of the sand traps, which is more than I can say for my golfing buddies!
So, what did I learn in all my travels this past month? Very simply this - there are good people all over this wonderful nation of ours; and everyone is doing the very best they can with what they have. Who could want more.
Many thanks to my Marketing Director extraordinaire, Marcie, for keeping me organized; and as always, my love and appreciation to my beautiful wife Tami, for all her love and support, for which nothing would be worth it without her.
Summer is waning, kids are in school, and cooler temperatures are ushering in what looks to be a wonderful fall season!
In August, I had the privilege of speaking at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico. No, I didn’t see any UFO’s, but a few people commented the lights on my wheelchair made me look like a flying saucer. I had a wonderful visit with Dr Sonia Cowen and the impressive cadets of NMMI. The future of our military is in good hands with these capable young people.
I spent a day in southern Utah at Enterprise High School, participating in the opening festivities of the new school year. One the way home I spent a good deal of time at milemarker 233- stuck in a traffic jam. I had been traveling all month, was in a hurry to be home and was looking forward to a nice break from work, and spending some quality time with Tami and the kids. As I sat in my car, waiting…waiting…waiting…I could feel myself starting to get annoyed, resentful, and frustrated with my current circumstances. And I started to whine! You know how we do when someone else’s misfortune blocks OUR lane of traffic! “Why me, why now, this is now what I need,” blah blah blah. Then, just as I was starting to serve up some cheese with my whine, a thought occurred to me. Hmmmm. Who would I rather be - the man lying on the stretcher in the middle of the road in 110 degree heat watching his entire year’s work go up in flames? Or me - the guy sitting in an air conditioned car, munching on a granola bar and listening to talk radio? I knew then it was time for a heavy dose of attitude therapy. I started thinking of someone other than myself. I started looking around at all the dozens of cars that were in the same situation I was in. The man in the white shirt and tie with his bluetooth, briefcase and blackberry (don’t wanna be him). The young mother with three car seats, five children, a crying baby and flying froot loops (definitely don’t wanna be her!). This is a really good tool to use for attitude adjustments - think of someone else rather yourself! Try it - you may be surprised at the outcome. However, I must warn you. This will make you a less selfish, more caring individual, and your life will be much happier. So, if this isn’t what you want, then don’t try it! Anyway, as I started to think of all the other people that were involved in this little drama, my attitude started shifting. I decided it wasn’t that bad being me and being stuck at milemarker 233. The seats in my van were comfortble, the granola bar was tasty, the conversation on the radio was entertaining, the scenery was nice and I had nothing else to do but sit back, relax and take it all in. Life is good, I decided. And why was life good? Because I chose to make it that way.
There is nothing like speaking to a bunch of athletic directors. Their energy is contagious and you can tell they really love what they do…and so do I. I was in the beautiful northwest last week, speaking for the Washington Athletic Directors and my good buddy Jim Meyerhoff. I flew into Seattle and drove to Yakima. The trees are so green and full of leaves. I was thinking what if I was here just a few months later, and someone was to ask me to describe the trees. I would tell them the leaves were scarlet and golden, and the ground beneath the trees was like a carpet of fallen leaves. What if I was traveling down this same road in the dead of winter and someone asked me what the scenery was like then. I would reply the trees were bare, looking like dead wood, void of life. So which one of these is an accurate description of the trees on the road to Yakima? They all are. It depends on the season you are in. Isn’t that like life. How you look at life depends on the season you are in. Susan Bissionette wrote “An optimist is the human personification of spring.” As summer winds down and we move into the changing colors of fall, then in to the cold, harsh winter, may we all take the time to find spring!
