Farm Progress

Thirty years ago a hunting accident changed my life forever.

Tim Schaefer, Founder

November 2, 2017

4 Min Read

It may seem odd, but my personal day of Thanksgiving is Oct. 17. My life changed forever on that date 30 years ago.

It started out with high anticipation because this was the first day of pheasant hunting and it was my first time hunting. What 13-year-old wouldn’t feel the excitement and joy of hunting with friends on one of those perfect fall days?

The sky was clear blue with those high wispy clouds. How can I remember the clouds 30 years later? That’s what I saw when looking up, flat on my back, my femur shattered with a femoral artery bleed. Getting shot from four feet away with a 12-gauge does tremendous damage. The shot went in the inside of my thigh, the size of an orange, shattered my thigh bone and left a hole from high on my hip to almost my knee.

We were over 20 miles from a rural hospital and it was a wild ride in the back of a small hatchback, trying to get to the hospital before I bled dry. I will forever be thankful for our rural hospital who was there when it was needed. Thankfully someone, somewhere, had taken the time to donate blood because two nurses stood over my cot and squeezed the bags into my veins.

In a roundabout way, this experience left me thankful for our soldiers who give of their time and sometimes their lives. You see, it was a Vietnam Vet, the surgeon, who walked in and knew exactly what to do. His skill was honed in a far off place while serving his country by saving lives. This practice and skill guided his hands as he staunched the blood flow and repaired my artery. He was in the right place with the right skills to save my life because he served. Because he served I was alive when the chopper landed in Minneapolis. Incidentally, the chopper pilot for the air ambulance also served our country as a pilot.     

The best America has to offer

I lost a leg but gained more than I could ever comprehend. Our family was on the receiving end of the best that America and a rural community has to offer. We had the best healthcare. Our community rallied around us and the crops were harvested by neighbors. Friends far and near reached out with a kind word and many gestures of kindness. Many prayers were offered on our behalf.

It was humbling, but amazing, to experience.

If we think back in our own lives we find important dates, events and times when we have been on the receiving end of other peoples’ kindness and generosity. It makes me thankful to be alive, marry and have children of my own. It makes me thankful that I am able to hunt, hike and be active outdoors. I am more thankful for my health than ever before.

Maybe we can’t fully appreciate our health until we don’t have it and we probably don’t comprehend the joy of living until we come close to death. Several of our Encore clients have had difficult health issues in the last year and they understand this as well. Veterans of war understand this joy of living after witnessing death and destruction. Life and health are treasures to be cherished.

Quiet heroes

There are many quiet heroes among us that step in and lend a hand when needed. Our nation and rural communities, in particular, are special. Where else do people really know each other and look out for each other? Our family isn’t the only one that has been on the receiving end of such generosity. There are many gestures of generosity that happen every day:  Neighbors who come together to harvest the crop, milk the cows, and plant the corn when there is an illness or death.

So many times we have witnessed community, churches, and schools pull together when someone is in need. The U.S. is the most giving and philanthropic country in the world and rural America gives the most.

Let’s never be too shy to step up and lend a hand even if we are unsure of ourselves, unsure what needs to be done or what should be said. It doesn’t really matter. What matters most is that we are there for those in need. It’s the American way and something each one of us can be thankful for. My story, and maybe your story, is but one of many and someday it will be forgotten with the passage of time. But those that receive acts of kindness in their time of need will never forget.

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Those You Love.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.

 

About the Author(s)

Tim Schaefer

Founder, Encore Wealth Advisors

Tim Schaefer guides large, successful farm operations, helping them get and keep a competitive edge. His tools are peer groups via the Encore Executive Farmer Network, transition planning, business growth planning, and executive coaching. His print column, Transitions & Strategies, appears regularly in Farm Futures and online at FarmFutures.com. He is a Certified Family Business Advisor, Certified Business Coach and Certified Financial Planner. Raised on a successful family farm, his first business venture was selling sweet corn door to door with an Oliver 70.

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