Stop whining

I'm guilty of whining.

I've got a few issues in life I'm wrestling with. And I don't like the way the referee is scoring it.

Big issues.

The IRS is late getting a refund check to me.

(But I've got one coming.)

The televised Olympics have been time delayed, and have shown too much curling.

(But I'm still watching.)

The war in Iraq is winding down and I hate the beginning and the end.

(But I voted for the President and the Congressmen that made it happen.)

I met a man this week for a business conversation.

He needed to meet at his home because he couldn't get to his office.

Because of an "issue with his leg".

We met at his home and he couldn't have been more gracious.

He was on crutches.

He sat with us in his living room, and had his wife prop his leg up on a chair.

He is about my age. Somewhere between 39 and 100.

He is positive. He talks about business. He talks about his children and grandchildren.

We learn we are both barbecue nerds and get into a chat about proper smoking techniques and rubs and sauces.

He explains he got a staph infection in his leg seven years ago.

In a hospital.

The infection entered his bones.

He has had 64 operations since. Rods in. Rods taken out.

He has lost three inches in the infected leg since his ordeal started.

He's had skin grafts from his stomach to his leg.

He lost the big toe on his opposite foot to the infection.

He told us he was happy because he and his doctors had figured out how to deal with the infection.

We then went onto to talk about business for over an hour.

As his wife came into the room to help him up and usher us out, it hit me.

He and his doctors had decided to amputate his leg below his knee.

And he was thrilled about it.

He never said the words. But he made it clear that in this next week, he was going to have part of his leg removed.

You would have thought he was going to The Masters. The World Series.

He was so excited about ending one episode of difficulty and replacing it with another, but better, life of difficulty.

Lord, forgive me for whining.

We all have issues in life.

Money, or lack thereof.

Death of a loved one.

Sickness of a loved one.

Political disagreements.

Disappointments in a mate.

Disappointments in business.

Our own health issues.

The only thing we can control is our attitude and response to the difficulties of life.

I hope I learned a lesson this week.

I hope I can learn to deal with my little issues with the grace of that man.