March is a conflicted month for me, it marks both my toughest fight and greatest victory. The 31st of this month marks 22 years since my accident that left me changed forever—disabled.
My world was turned upside down in an instant. One minute I was returning to my car after buying my mother’s birthday card, the next I was waking up a week later in intensive care.
My family and friends surrounded my bed. The next few days I would learn about what happened after leaving the bookstore, about the truck that T-boned my Mustang, crushing the right side of my head.
About the witnesses who rushed to my aid after the accident and how they were sure I was dead. I’ll never forget the moment one of the best neurosurgeons in the world explained to me how he had removed a part of my brain and I would never walk again.
After weeks of in-house therapy, I was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. It was there I received the care and attention I needed from trained specialists and other T.B.I. (traumatic brain injury) survivors.
Although I wanted to give up, I was told to take it slow and listen to my therapists. My family and friends continued to come and support me. A month later I was transferred to a transitional living center where I could be observed in a normal setting. That’s where I learned I had limited use of my left hand.
I learned the importance of support groups. Family and friends are great, but people with disabilities were essential to my recovery. In the 22 years since I’ve learned support systems aren’t just for the disabled.
Support?
The dictionary defines support systems as, “a network of people who provide an individual with practical or emotional support.” Our family and circle of friends are support systems in its most basic form. They are the first ones to support our hopes of a writing career.
They’re where we first receive love, help, and advice. Older family members and friends have experienced the trials of life we will eventually face. When the storms of life come, our support systems are there to encourage us.
Each stage of life will bring us different systems uniquely qualified to help us grow. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced many supportive networks.
- Family
- Friends
- Religious groups (church, small group studies)
- Gender associations (men’s groups)
- Generational (afterschool functions, youth conferences)
- Social (community awareness groups, civic organizations)
- Vocational (on-the-job training, vocational rehabilitation)
After I recovered from my accident, I attended a few survivor groups and then later felt led to get serious about my faith. I began regularly attending church again. It was there where I met my mentor and soon after attended my first Promise Keepers men’s conference.
It was at that conference I realized I wasn’t the only man who was broken. Along with more than 60,000 other men, I learned we needed each other. I learned the power of encouragement. For over a decade I consistently attended men’s rallies to be refueled and eventually joined the movement as an ambassador.
I often shared my story of struggling with being disabled and about my previous life and battles with substance abuse. This eventually led me to join another support group, one for persons with addictive personalities. I’ll never forget what was said the first day I attended.
The group leader stated he was glad to be born a predisposition to become an alcoholic. Because if he hadn’t become one, he’d never realized just how broken he was. “Everyone is broken and has problems, but not everyone realizes it or can accept it. We all need help in one way or another.”
My disability was a wake-up call to my need for help. Over the years I’ve watched people come and go who didn’t take their addictions and brokenness seriously. It was all fun and games for them. But I had learned it is no laughing matter.
As a youth I attended youth rallies and conferences for fun, I never realized how serious the getaways were. While conferences and groups can be fun, it’s more about encouragement and education.
Fun and Games?
Anyone who’s pursued a writing career for any amount of time, you know it’s not a luxurious or easy journey to start. And not for hearing stories of other writers who have faced the giants we face ourselves, most of us would be content just to give up and take a different path.
Fortunately, we have lots of opportunities to get the support and training we need to continue our journey when the going gets tough.
- local writing or critique groups
- online writing communities
- social media writing communities
- online training and education
- writing mentors
- writers’ conferences
By the time this article posts we will be officially in conference season. It’s great to gather together with our friends and colleagues who we don’t get to see often. And it’s fun to meet new people and network with industry people we may never meet otherwise. I finally got to meet one of my writing mentors at the last conference I attended. I also made more friends who live in my area who continue to support me weekly.
Keep in mind that like other support groups, writing conferences are for training, encouragement and making sure our careers/dreams are supported.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
