The Crutch Chronicles

The Crutch Chronicles

February 16, 2022

About a month ago I broke my ankle.? I’d like to tell you that I broke it rescuing small children from a burning building in the dark of the night, but that is just not how it went down.? I rolled it stepping off a curb in my heels.? That night, I fell hard but popped right back up, walked the rest of the way home, got into bed and thought nothing more of the incident.??

UNTIL I COULD NOT WALK IN THE MORNING.

Since that morning, my “normal” in the short term has been turned upside down.? No weight bearing for 6 weeks.? Big heavy boot attached to me like a foreign object for 10 weeks.? No driving for 10 weeks.? Awkward crutches.? Sore arms and shoulders.? The onset of carpal tunnel.? A little wheely thing to help me zoom from the kitchen to the living room.? Mom-guilt because I cannot buzz my kids to their activities.? Sitting in one place for hours at a time.? And at least initially, a lot of tears and self pity.??

Now, I am over the tears and self pity and hobbling into some sense of normalcy.? And as a feeling of acceptance has crept in, I realize I have learned some lessons from this broken bone and I wanted to document them in this, my “Crutch Chronicles:”

1. HUMILITY - I am a staunchly independent woman - always have been.? Somewhere along the way in my life I picked up the perspective that accepting help (especially in my personal life) was a sign of weakness.? Today, my son brings coffee to me every morning, my best friend drives my daughter to rock band practice every Saturday, my neighbor brings wine over on Friday nights, friends bring home-cooked meals, and my daughter helps me pick up my room.? I am a humbled woman, blessed to see that accepting help and support from others actually makes me more independent and stronger for doing so.??
2. ADAPTABILITY - Boy, have I gotten creative on crutches!? I switched to the other side of my bed to allow my boot to rest on top of the covers.? I got a ‘crutch pouch’ to carry my phone and water bottle.? I use a bar stool to move ingredients from the fridge to the counter and then sit on it to chop and cook.? I do upper body weight workouts each day instead of cycling.? I wear clothes with more pockets.? I made a make-shift office on my first floor.? The point is that I adjusted to the situation in order to stay productive, so that I could still feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.? When you adapt to a challenge, at some point it is no longer a challenge.?
3. RESILIENCE - This, too, shall pass.? I have learned that I am tough enough to fight through this period of time, strong enough to absorb the initial pain and the lingering immobility, and resilient enough to bounce back physically.? I have learned that grit far outweighs our physical attributes and is a much better predictor of success.

Thousands of people break their ankles and are on their own “Crutch Chronicle” journey right now.? I am not special in any way.? So, why share this with my #LinkedIn and professional community???

Because humility, adaptability, and resilience are also characteristics of great leaders. You likely have heard in your lifetime that there are ‘born leaders,’ that the innate qualities of leadership are perhaps hereditary.? In fact, several studies show that the majority of key leadership qualities are LEARNED and can be improved over time.??

Breaking bones creates leaders!??

Ok, maybe you don’t have to injure something to gain a leadership skill.? But, you can use your challenges to push yourself.??

I am grateful to the trials and tribulations of my life, including a spiral distal fibula break (i.e. - "your ankle is broken"), because lessons learned as a result of those trials allow us to grow, personally and professionally.? I hope to leave these crutches behind in about 6 weeks, but I will take forward a new mindset for a lifetime.?

I would love to hear some of the lessons you learned through your challenges.? I hope you will consider sharing in the comments!