October 1, 2005

Update from Daryl for the first time in over four months!
 
It has been since May that I last posted anything on this site, so there are many things that I would like to say, however, it seems best to give a quick lead up to the present - and then let you all know how things are right now. So here is the super short version of the summer:
 
I had surgery on my ear at the end of May to correct some hearing loss caused by damage done to my ear bones in the accident. It was unsuccessful, and so I still have moderate hearing loss in my right ear. Luckily, my left ear is still amazing and I hardly notice the difference anymore. I caught my pinky finger on my left hand in the castor of my wheelchair, chopping through the fingernail down to the bone. Four stitches put that back together, and it is now completely fine. I developed a pressure sore on my sacrum from doing some silly stuff at the very end of July, and spent the month of August laying on my stomach.
 
The summer was not all bad, of course. I got to spend some time with the family and with friends from Loveland. I taught guitar lessons to a few people and also played sometimes at Third Day Victory Church in Fort Collins, where my sister and I had been going since I got out of the hospital. I participated in a Bible study with my brother Michael and some high school guys, and every Thursday night, many of us would gather at The Baker's and praise God together.
 
The really, really short version. There were some brilliant moments this summer, and some less enjoyable ones as well. I suppose thats the way it is when you're growing up again, learning to live again. I was blessed to develop some friendships with people I hadn't really known before, and for the sake of those relationships, I wouldn't have traded this summer for any other.
 
At the end of August, my mom and sister accompanied me on the trip back to Michigan. My mom brought her van in addition to my car, to help fit a few bigger things like my standing frame. It was a bittersweet return trip for all of us - I was glad to be back, and they were too; but they were rightfully worried about me, and I knew that I would miss being around home. Probably it made it hard for them, too, that my house was a mess and none of my housemates were around when they left.
 
The beginning of the school year was, again, bittersweet. Its always a fun time of year; the weather is decent, we're not behind in classes yet, and there are a million things to do. It was good to see many people that I hadn't seen in 10 months, and to get back to school. I really do like school, whatever I might say at times, and I really do love Calvin College, and despite my frequent insults to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Dutch community, I actually do not have a problem with GR, Michigan, or Dutch folk.
 
The bitter part comes from all the memories that such a return brings, and the realization that there are a few things I loved doing here that will never be quite the same. And the bitter part comes along with the realization that I have some work to do in a lot of areas of life, and a lot of work to do in the other areas (and a lot of work to do for some of my classes). But the bitter part has been tempered by a number of frienships kicking back into gear, and some new and fun opportunities arising.
 
So now, here I am, its the second month of school, I'm writing exams and papers, and playing at the LOFT service tonight and a Psalm festival next Saturday (where we will go through all 150 Psalms through reading, praying, or singing). I've been "resting" this weekend, which is to say laying around reading and trying to figure out this website thing, because I'm a little bit sick, and quite tired. The last two weeks have been a bit "busy": A week and a half ago I was rearended by a drunk driver while sitting at a stop light. Well, actually, the guy hit the car sitting behind me, but since he was going 50 mph, the car behind me hit me. Nobody was seriously hurt, but the car in the middle was squished, and my car has some serious damage.
 
Dealing with insurance and getting cars fixed can always be a little messy, but since the accident was with in Michigan, its even messier. Michigan is a no-fault state, which means that, even though the guy who hit us was drunk and we were not moving at a stoplight, we all still file with our own insurance companies. In any case, I'm learning things I didn't want to have to know. Actually, if there are any lawyers out there with time to help... I'm half joking, but I am serious that if anybody knows anything about this stuff and has time to help me, I would not mind.
 
Last weekend was also a little crazy. Friday was the Notre Dame Invitational for Calvin's cross country team, and I went down to South Bend to watch. It was a good time, especially because I got to see a couple friends who run for Wyoming who were out for the meet. Saturday my housemates threw a party. We're kind of in the habit of having drug-free alcohol-free parties with dancing and food and whatnot, so this was the first of the year for us. Sunday I played at LOFT (Living Our Faith Together - the student planned and led worship service held in Calvin's chapel on Sunday nights), and then still had to read for class.
 
I love my classes, philosophy, religious studies, and greek, and have friends in all my classes, which makes them even more fun. The hardest part is probably finding places on campus to study between classes, because everywhere I go there are people to talk to (and people who want to talk to me) - which I usually don't mind. The other hardest part has been trying to keep all of my friends and family updated - which is one reason I have decided to start using this website again.
 
One other thing that I have begun to think about again is doing some sort of rehab, or if there are any really good SCI research projects that anybody knows about that I should check out, so feel free to let me know about anything you see that is promising...
 
Thus and therefore, all things considered, I am doing well, and will finish this update with something fun: I decided what I would get tattood on me if I ever got a tattoo - I haven't yet - but now that I've thought of something, it could be tempting: From 2 Corinthians 4, "We do not proclaim ourselves; We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake!" I really like that whole thing, and wouldn't mind wearing it in a bunch of different languages; that way, wherever I am, even if I can't speak the language, people will still know what I'm there for. And what would be more like the Apostle Paul than to get a tattoo? After all, he does claim to bear the "marks" of Christ - in the Greek, the word "marks" is stigmata, which usually means tattoos...
 
Joyfully signing this update,
Daryl, your slave for Jesus' sake