Our Health Controls Our Lives

I read with great interest this morning in the Rocky Mount Telegram on the story about the former Nash Central Athletic Director Tony High who has had to step down due to injury.  Flat feet is something he was born with and as his life has continued the fight has gotten more agonizing than he could bear without rest.

Athletes live every day with the fact an injury could end their career or a high school athlete could miss his playing time all together  due to the fact there is no coming back next year after graduation and playing ball to make up for the year missed.  Life moves on with or without us.  Once we get into life with a family our health dominates how successful we are because of the limitations health can put on all of us.

I too was born with flat feet and I think you can say that I have an extreme case.  I have no arch what so ever.  When I was four or five I had trouble every time I grew out of one pair of shoes to another trying to be able to walk with out pain.  As they say I grew out of the pain and I think it was because I have no arch.  When I get in a pool of water and step out you can see my full foot print on the cement when I get out.

Back in 1972 the Vietnam War was raging and they restarted the draft.  They had the first draft live on TV just like the NFL has it's draft.  All 18 year old across this country watched holding our breaths for we were told if your  birth date  was picked in the top 50 numbers you would be called to be inducted in the military.  February 3rd was the 26th number called and within a week I received a letter to be in Winton N C. which is the County seat in Hertford County to get on a bus  6.30am and travel to Raleigh to the induction Center.

It was the Wednesday morning the day after Richard Nixon got reelected President  the date was November 8th 1972.  Promptly at 9am we began taking test  which last till about noon.  They fed us a box lunch and all 50 people who were on the bus were put in lines and told to strip down to our under wear.  Each of us  were put in groups of six.  We preceded to go to different rooms and in each room we were given complete physicals.

When it was our turn near the end  of the process my group of six entered this room where a Chief Boatswain's Mate was standing holding a clip board.  After we lined up in front of a white line on the floor which we had to do in every room the Chief says "Here is where you have a chance to get out of military service if you have any physical problems and I want you to tell me about them now".  I was the first one in our line and he stepped up to me and said " Got any thing I need to know about".  'Flat feet was my reply'.  He took some type of meter out of his pocket and got on one knee and stuck that instrument down to the floor by my feet.  He looked up at me and looked again back at the meter.  He stood up and say "Son  you are out of the military". 

He stepped back and asked the others if they had any thing he needed to see.  All five claimed flat feet like me.  After he had looked at all five  he told them that if they wanted to see what flat feet looked like take a look at me.  He walked back up to where I was standing behind the white line and again said "Son they are the flattest feet I have ever seen.  You have no arch what so ever.".  He signed a piece of paper and said give that to the Sargent at the end of the line.  My life in the military career lasted one day.

I have never had trouble walking since early child hood and I guess it is because I have no arch what so ever to hurt when I walk.  Unlike Coach High and many others who have to endure pain every day flat feet was my way out of Vietnam.