Tuesday, I left McGuinn Hall inspired. Worries about assignments, tests, and activities receded to mere tasks waiting to be completed. Listening to motivational speaker Travis Roy tell us his story about the fatal 11 seconds that shattered his dreams and how he was able to overcome his paralysis was inspiring, to say the least.
Travis, who had begun playing hockey when he was just 20 months old, stepped onto BU's hockey rink with the intent of playing his first college hockey game. It only took 11 seconds on the ice for the freshman to lose his balance and crack his fourth vertebra into the boards, leaving him paralyzed. That fateful night in October of 1995 seemed like the death of a dream and a promise.
What would you have done? There is something to be said about a 17-year-old who could undergo such a traumatic and life-changing episode, return to school, and decide to turn this negative occurrence into something that makes a difference.
Since then, Travis has started the Travis Roy Foundation dedicated to spinal-cord-injury survivors and research. "People with positive attitudes," he said, "are more apt to see the opportunities in front of them." It would have been too easy for Roy to only become a stark tribute in an old newspaper long forgotten, but his positive attitude and courage have helped him not only to empower himself, but also translate his story into a beacon of hope for anyone who has felt obstacles in their way.
It gets hard at times to fight off the urge to complain. Clearly falling on the unfavorable end of the housing lottery has to be the end of the world, and writing those three papers and studying for the midterm is the bane of existence. These are feelings that happen naturally as a product of the college environment and are not to be completely discounted. But is it really productive and appropriate for us to keep one-upping each other with stories of our "troubles"? A story like Travis Roy's reveals these statements for what they really are - complaints we could do without.
I, of course, am just as guilty of this as anyone - taking things for granted. My first few years here have sped by, and the next two offer no proof of a reprieve from time's unforgiving reliability. The two years thus far have been a mixture of highs and lows, excitements and complaints, but I truly wonder, what on earth do I have to complain about?
Going to Roy's presentation presented in the flesh the strong human capacity to endure and overcome. Anecdotes about some of his accomplishments after the accident give a light of hope as he continues to have different types of aspirations today.
Paralyzed from the neck below, he exercises his mental faculties and indulges his taste buds by trying new types of foods. In his presentation, he urged the audience to do the same; live, try new foods, set goals are a few of the messages he left us with.
And of course, the first thing he would do if he were to get out of the wheelchair? The obvious answer might be play hockey, but he says instead that he would, hands down, hug his parents and friends and tell them that he loves them. Think about the last time your fully able legs voluntarily walked over to give a loved one a hug to let them know you care about them (and I am not talking about those half-pat-on-the-back-type courtesy hugs either).
Finally, one of the last points Travis left us with, was his response to the question about why he decided to start the foundation. He explained that he was fortunate enough to come out of this situation with supportive friends and family and many resources, unlike the many others he has encountered lacking any such advantages. "To whom much is given, much is expected," he answered in reply; despite what we might consider our deficiencies, from us much is also expected.
It is easy to get lost in the noise of the campus and become easily distracted or overwhelmed, but I have learned that we as a whole consistently lack the sense of appreciation or optimism that Roy urges us to embrace. It manifests itself in the poor attendance rates to events on campus, prank fire-alarm pulling, the harsh way we treat each other, and any tendency to slack off on work or become down on ourselves.
So I share Roy's inspirational message to help us take one, or two, or three minutes out of our day to pay appreciation to those around us and the many resources that we are fortunate to have. To continue his message, it is appropriate to say that in times of doubt and adversity, hope never dies if optimism is in the picture.
Nidia Fevry is a Heights staff columnist. She welcomes comments at fevry@bcheights.com.
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