Motivational Story - Don't Squander Your Opportunities


 
Greetings! During these unsettling times, this particular piece is a story of inspiration. It is an important reminder to "Value the Life" you've been given. That every day is a Blessing no matter if you're bored because of possibly being sheltered inside for now or not? Take time to read this special piece OK? 

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"I believe we all have opportunity. It’s always there but most people don’t see it until something happens” – stated by retired Army Sergeant Rick Yarosh

My story takes place in Iraq on Sept, 1, 2006, a day that changed the life of Sgt. Yarosh entirely – both in physical appearance and emotionally. 

It was on a day when he and two of his fellow servicemen were patrolling an area of Baghdad inside their army tank when a roadside bomb exploded. The fuel tank blew and quickly engulfed the tank into flames spreading all over Sgt. Yarosh's body. He was lucky to make his way out of the hatch and jumped blindly to the ground (it was a fall of around 10-feet with no available eyesight for him to see what was below). 

Upon landing, Sgt. Yarosh rolled around in the dirt next to the tank and could not extinguish the flames that were burning away his skin rapidly. There was just too much fuel around him. Blinded by the intense flames and blowing dust in the air, Yarosh needed every ounce of the remaining strength he had within to be able to roll his body away not knowing what was near him - and found himself now falling into a deep embankment that had some water at the bottom which proved to be a Blessing and would help him extinguish the still burning flames. As he yelled out for help, other soldiers came to his rescue. They had to lift him up using rope and doing so very delicately. The body armor that was designed to protect the Sergeant had itself disintegrated from the fire. It crumbled to ash when the other soldiers helping him tried to remove it from his body.

Yarosh was burned in over 60% of his body. He lost both ears, his nose, multiple fingers and most of the function in both hands due to the fire. He says then that he could actually see his entire face coming off of his head and hanging from his chin. Less than 72 hours later, he was transported out of Iraq and headed stateside to spend two very grueling years of his life at a special Army Burn Unit in San Antonio, Texas. He underwent close to 40 surgeries during this period of time plus he had to be fitted for a prosthetic to replace part of his right leg that was amputated when Yarosh severed an artery during his blindsided fall from the tank.

“When I first got out of the Army hospital, I didn’t know how I was going to be accepted by the outside world? I saw what I looked like. It was terrifying? I’ve never seen someone look like me before?" said Yarosh. "When I saw myself, I didn’t know what to expect?”

Early into his return to public life, Yarosh and his brother went to dinner at a restaurant in San Antonio. Seated at a table or two away was a little 5-year-old girl and her grandfather. The little girl could not stop staring away at the Army veteran. She knew something was different. The little girl asked her Grandpa if she could go over to him. The Grandpa encouraged her to do so. The little girl made her way over. Then she stopped and stared … and stared even more at Yarosh's completely disfigured face. Regardless, Sgt. Yarosh proceeded to lean forward into a crouched position. Gazing at the little girl, he mustered up a Smile and Cheerfully said to her: “Hi, how are you doing today?” The little girl quickly ran back to her table. At that moment, Sgt. Yarosh could hear the little girl excitedly tell her Grandfather, “He’s really nice Grandpa!” 

“That moment was a life changer for me,” said Yarosh. “I felt like I was accepted back into society. That was all the incentive I needed to motivate me to go forward. I woke up everyday thereafter feeling blessed to be alive and so lucky because I could still make choices whereas some of my combat friends could not.” One, in particular, who drove the tank on that horrific day did not survive the explosion and left behind a pregnant wife and child.

As Sgt. Yarosh stated up above, DON’T EVER SQUANDER YOUR OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE! Go Capture Your Dreams and wake up each day knowing you have the capacity to make a difference in the lives of so many OK! 

Jim Loria

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