Thread by @bsw5020

As I pulled myself up to the curb yesterday morning I remember thinking, "I can't." As I boarded my flight last night I remember thinking, "We will."

The journey in between led to this thread. It is difficult to write and I expect for some it will be hard to read, but here goes

After I fell, I pulled myself to the curb and began frantically searching for my glasses.

Rain fell gently on my head. Blood rushed swiftly from my head to my hands, jeans and the street. I've bled a lot before so I didn't panic. Instead, I kept thinking, "I can't do this."

As I sat there, first 3 and then 5 strangers stopped to help.

They called 911.

They brought out a first aid kit.

And one even put on the gloves and started trying to clear the long y-shaped cut on the back of my head as we waited for the ambulance.

As we waited, I made calls as it was all I could do. I called my wife. I called @ClareDurrett, whom I was supposed to meet.

The EMTs took my phone away, strapped me into a stretcher and drove to the hospital where I went to the acute ward because the bleeding would not stop.

Clare arrived shortly after they stopped the bleeding, took one look at me and asked me how I felt. I impulsively replied, "Like an idiot." She responded, "No. How do you really feel."

It took me a day to answer that question honestly. Here it is:

I am shaken, but stronger than ever.

I am shaken as yesterday was a visceral reminder of my own mortality. I live with daily reminders of this thanks to ALS, but my progression has been slower. So I can compartmentalize death, overlay it with the urgency of our fight to live.

I am stronger than ever because of what happened after that visceral reminder: this community of fellow travelers stepped in. From strangers there when I fell to friends I've known for 30+ years.

From the day we are born to the day we die, we seek out community.

Some communities we join voluntarily, others we are thrust into.

All, however, make us part of something greater than ourselves.

They allow us to transcend our mortality. They allow us to leave our mark on others. They inspire us, drive us, and pick us up when we fall.

Yesterday I fell. Hard.

From the moment I fell through me sitting here typing this thread, the concentric ring of communities that I am privileged to be a part of picked me up, dusted me off, dried my tears, and gave me a visceral reminder that we never walk alone.

It has been difficult to write this thread, and I debated deleting it multiple times.

I didn't in the hopes that the reminder that though life is not a straight line we never walk alone could help someone today. Could inspire someone new to join our fight.

Could remind us that we will fall hard at some point in life, but that we will get back up and move forward stronger than ever buoyed by our community.

On our own, we are fragile. Together, we are strong and capable of amazing things. Thank you for reminding me of that. ❤️

As I read through the incredibly replies to this thread, I can't help but smile at how lucky I am.

We started this journey alone and in tears.

The tears are still with us, but the sense of isolation has been replaced.

Replaced by a daily showing that despite what we see elsewhere, we are one human family bound together by love and loss, fear and hope, and desire to build a better future.

Thank you for this gift, for your courage, for leaning in to end ALS, AZ, PD and beyond. #StayAmazing