Elizabeth Kubler Ross

I had an encounter with an amazing lady last weekend.

Borne one of the triplets, she managed to defy death and survive even though the doctor proclaimed that the possibility of her survival was slim. A strong-willed lady, she decided to be a doctor despite her father's strong objection and left home in her teens to earn her keep through medical school. With a strong sense of justice, she was not afraid to speak her mind and to straightened what she believed is wrong. She was one of the pioneers to work with AIDS patients and to help hospice patients and their families cope with the imminent death. Her efforts were not really appreciated and she received several threats on her life for the work that she did.

The philosophy that spurred her on was simple:
For things that we cannot change,
accept them with serenity;
For things that we can change,
have the courage to change it;

Incapacitated!

Never thought that it would happen to me, for I always considered myself a self-assured and cautious veteran on the bike, who knows what I am up to. I never challenge my bigger counterparts on the road, or take unnecessary risks when negotiating the turns and slopes. It pays to be careful than to dabble with unnecesary risks. That is my philosophy. You may get more than you bargain for when you are a show off.

So it is with great distress that I am now incapacitated, especially on a glorious long weekend like this. My ribs ached every time I breathe, walk or laugh not to mention riding down the coastal road or running in the stadium. It is not the pain or the bitter medicine that I find it hard to bear, but the immobility that confines me to my chair, that I find stifling.

I would be out of action for a while. Pink lady will get her well-deserved break, and I, have to take the bus obediently, at least for another week.