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Last month this article was about my race to qualify for the national finals. A dislocated shoulder has brought that race to a halt. On my second to last calf of the year, at Kansas City, I needed to be quick on a pretty big calf and was a little off balance and held my slack a little too long. The medical term is a bank hart lesion. In cowboy terms, I tore all the ligaments away from the bone.
I went ahead and tied my calf but pretty much had no use of my right arm. Surgery is scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving and I’ll be out for four months. My goal is to be ready by Houston.
I really appreciate all the phone calls, cards and sympathy, but this is nothing but a speed bump. It’s not my place to ask why this happened. If I’m going to ask a question, it will be what, not why. What can I learn or gain from this? How can it help me become a better father, husband or roper?
When we went to Amarillo to have the MRI, the doctor’s office is next to the children’s cancer center. This shoulder is nothing compared to what those families go through.
I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy being home for a while. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to spend this much time with my family at home like this.
And since I can commit to more than one Sunday in a row, I’ve been teaching Sunday school at church. We live in a small rural town I like to think that my travels and experiences help bring some new perspectives.
This down time also allows me to be a spectator, which is great because though I’m a competitor first, being a fan of the sport is a real close second. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best entertainment in the world. During the Texas Stampede I’d get a play-by-play description of the roping as it was happening and get goose bumps from the excitement.
I’d like to congratulate Blair Burk for winning the Finale in Dallas with a 6.6, and breaking Cody’s and my arena record of 6.7. Congratulations to Cade Swor and Doug Pharr, who both had to win there to make the finals. Those guys backed in there, pinned their ears back and got it done. I’ve been in that situation before and honestly it’s more gratifying to qualify under those conditions than to have the finals made in June or July. To champion that pressure is exciting.
If you have questions or something you’d like me to write about, drop me a note at stransmith.com.
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