Small World and Jaw Dropping Moments

 It never ceases to amaze me how small the world really is, and what I am about to share will probably be a jaw dropper for you....at least it was for me. We're going to go back for a little bit to 2020. 

I had been working full-time as a trainer after I moved back to Indiana in February of 2019 and had to live with my parents until getting back on my feet. When I left my ex husband, I only took my belongings and my dog. I wanted to be happy and didn't care about all the "stuff." I finally got my own place after living with my parents for ten months rebuilding my life. I got a month free [ December ] because I painted the entire house and then finally moved in, in January. I was working a LOT of hours and then painting at night. I was burnt out and exhausted. I just keep my eye on the prize and keep pushing. So, I'd just gotten moved in and January 8th I got really sick from a kidney stone and UTI. It was horrible and of course I couldn't work....great timing, said no one ever! My first months rent was due and I'm just thinking, " wow, really......I finally get my own place and then this happens? " Fan-freaking-tastic!!! My landlord was wonderful about it thank God!! All you have to do people is be honest. Two weeks went by and I still hadn't passed the stone, so I got scheduled for surgery. A stent was placed and now days they have you pull the stent out yourself at home. Yeah, that's never ever happening again. I ended up having complications, hydronephrosis for one and a bruised urethra. The healing due to complications, drug on for a bit. I got over that and still didn't feel well. I go to my Urologist and he says, " I guarantee it's your spine, not a urinary problem. " Long story short, as you've read in previous posts, I had to play advocate for myself, find my own surgeon, and get the ball rolling. I did, and he was wonderful!! We found out quickly that I had to have neck surgery [ my first one ] to have vertebrae c3-c6 fused [ anterior - front of my neck ]. Mind you, bills are still due, still coming in and God, being the faithful man He is, took care of me! As stated before, to the natural world, there's no way I should have been making it financially. God is bigger than all of our problems and on top of the provision financially, I had no fear and complete peace knowing I would be okay and God had my back. Even my landlord was flabbergasted!!! Get this......My church stepped up and gave me a LOT of help....I'm talking food, paying my bills, cards, visits, etc! My great friend and also boss at the time started a fundraiser for me at the gym and I received soooooo much help there as well. Then, people kept going by my landlord's office paying my rent and this went on until May!!!! If you let Him, God will blow your mind and faith will take you places you never dreamed!! 

So, I finally reached a point where I could work again, and being single, I couldn't really afford to keep being a trainer. I think it's a pretty well known fact that unless you live in a big city, you're not going to make bank being a trainer. Sometimes you have to put your passion on the back burner and be practical. I grieved over this because fitness is my life!!! I ended up getting a job and quickly at Rural King and was head of the credit department. I did at Rural King what I did through college at Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow Oklahoma [ Tulsa ]. I still needed to make more, so I applied at Thunderbird [ where they make luxury boats]. I got the job and this was going to be a huge game changer for me making way more than I ever have in my life. When it came time to finish my two week notice at Rural King, I had another kidney stone and that bout lasted two weeks. The timing was horrible because I ended up being ill over Labor Day weekend and of course, people assumed the worst and said all kinds of horrible untrue things about me. I was actually really concerned that I wouldn't be okay by the time it was time for me to start my new job at Thunderbird. I started in September as scheduled. The money I made was wonderful and life changing! Finally, I felt like I was getting somewhere and getting my financial health where it should be. 

While I was working at Rural King, there was a guy that would come in, who to my recollection, I'd never met, but it bugged me trying to figure out who he was and why he looked so familiar to me. He worked at Thunderbird and right next to me in Haul Rig [ I was on Deck 1 ]. Finally, after a few months of working at Thunderbird I stopped him and said, " I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be weird or anything, but what is your name? You look so familiar to me and I just can't put my finger on it!" I would find out a little later when all of us met at Double Eagle for drinks after getting let out early for Christmas break. We got to talking about my accident and he says, " hey wait a minute.......that was you?!!" Turns out, he was at the scene of my accident with the drunk driver in 2004!!!!! We were both stunned and we both started crying.....very intense emotional moment. We were hugging and crying and just so caught up in how crazy this all was. 

It gets even crazier........remember the guy I told you about that hid the drunk driver that hit us? There was another familiar face at Thunderbird......come to find out, when I had my first big kidney stone attack, I wasn't sure what was going on, my husband at the time [ Will, my first husband ]was at work, I was in HORRIBLE pain and stuck on the floor. I had no choice but to call an ambulance. The guy at Thunderbird was the EMT that helped me that night. He also, now was the lead in the sand and buff department directly behind my work area. Well, I learned quickly that he was the one that fed and tried to sober up the jack waggon that hit us killing my husband and best friend who was in the back seat!!!!! Having to see him on a daily basis wasn't always easy. I also quickly figured out why he would act weird around me. None of the girls in his department liked him because he was a mean perverted a-hole!!! See what I mean, SMALL WORLD!!!!! Needless to say, he's at Thunderbird because he lost his EMT license from the shanannigans he pulled from the night of my accident. 

Moving forward, they are stupid strict at this company. Like, I had to work sick a LOT! I couldn't afford to be off for one and two, they don't accept Doctors notes and won't let you still come in to work to do any sit down jobs unless you were injured on the job. It didn't matter what proof I had, if you have no vacation time or anything else they can take to cover your butt, you get a point. I had a kidney stone yet again and they did everything they could to talk me into staying, so I was like, " fine, if you want me to stay, I'm plugging my heating pad into my extension cord and I am stopping to rest when I need to, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!" And that's what I did. It was very difficult especially since my job was one of the hardest and most labor intensive at the factory. Again, more strength revealed that I didn't know I had. I don't like missing work and I don't play the system. I was raised better than that and am grateful for the work ethic I have because of how I was raised. Thanks mom and dad!!!! I am honest, loyal, and my work ethic is comparable to that of our grandparents. Nothing about me is modern and I always joke saying I was born in the wrong era lol!!!

Anyways, I have plenty more to share and look forward to doing so tomorrow! Have a restful and blessed Sunday!!