A Broken Leg Results in Foot in Mouth

When I was a Senior in college I broke my leg skiing.  It was a bad break of both the tibia and fibula and meant hobbling around with a cast all the way to my hip in the middle of winter.  During this very inconvenient time, I had an interview trip that included a flight.  I sat next to a very nice man who listened to me complain the entire trip about how cumbersome it was to have to get around on crutches.  I whined about my cast and how I just couldn't wait to be able to walk normally again.

The plane landed and the flight attendent comes by with a wheelchair.  I'm thinking how nice it is that they want to help me when I see that the wheelchair is for the guy I've been complaining to.  He, apparently, is paralyzed.  I was sitting in the handicapped section, after all.  As he's being helped into his chair, I give him a look that says, "Why didn't you tell me?" And he gives me a look...amusement in his eyes, as though he was waiting for that moment...like this was a little joke and he was enjoying this punchline.  But it was also a look that said, "Aren't you glad you just have a broken leg?" 

Even though we didn't say a word in that minute that we exchanged looks, it was a message I've never forgotten.  That was over 20 years ago but I've thought of that man many times.  Whenever I start to whine about something or feel sorry for myself, I remember that the person I'm whining to very well may have things much worse than me.  

So now I keep quiet when I'm on planes and whine on gather.