“It always seems impossible…”

Report · Oct 19, 2018

Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it's done.” 25 years ago, tonight, it seemed impossible that I would live. A steel beam fell on my head and crushed a fair amount of my skull. My brain was bleeding out. I had a “less than 25% chance of survival.” What does that statistic mean? Well… even if a person does survive, the odds of a patient living for more than a year are not very good. Of course, there are always issues with quality of life. So, sure, it makes sense to think winning a billion dollar lottery game, with one ticket, seems pretty good, by comparison.

How about you? Have you ever been told that something couldn’t be done, but you wanted to do it anyway? Some kids have always wanted to pursue a career as a creative professional, but family members, or maybe even a high school counselor, said the chances of succeeding were not very good. (My high school guidance counselor told me that I “wasn’t college material.” It was a triumph to leave a copy of my Deans List certificate on her desk, after my first college semester.)

As some of you know, 9-½ years after my cerebral trauma, Janet had a Brain Aneurysm and also had a less than 25% chance of survival. Her come-back therapies became my come-back therapies.

What seems impossible for you to do, right now? We meet accomplished still photographers who feel shooting motion footage is too scary, even if the camera they shoot with does 4K Ultra HD video recording. Then, there are the brilliant print designers who are Adobe InDesign masters but they’re not feeling up for exploring web/mobile design with Adobe Dreamweaver, even though both apps are included in their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

As Mandela is encouraging us to do, get the impossible done.

Report · Oct 19, 2018

Closest to having a beam fall on my head was having a Dutch skillet fall on my head that was on a high shelf and somehow a slamming door knocked it off the shelf, landing it on my head. Guess I have a hard head, as there was no serious damage. Although, it does make me wonder what I would have been like if that hadn't have happened: would my memory be better than it is now?

I have a friend in two of my camera clubs that was nearly killed in an IED explosion. He couldn't talk for about 6 months. He says now it change how is brain works,making him more focused, among other things. The brain is an amazing organ.

On a side note, Brian, While at Adobe MAX this past week, some of the ACPs gave personal talks. Chad Chellud mentioned you and how you got him into the ACP program at the time. He was very grateful for that, and I mentioned to him that you did the same for me, and that I have really enjoyed being an ACP, thanks to you.

Report · Oct 19, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Chuck+Uebele wrote
On a side note, Brian, While at Adobe MAX this past week, some of the ACPs gave personal talks. Chad Chellud mentioned you and how you got him into the ACP program at the time. He was very grateful for that, and I mentioned to him that you did the same for me, and that I have really enjoyed being an ACP, thanks to you.

Thank you very much Chuck (and Chad). In the Spring of 1993 there was an effort to move our beloved Adobe Influencer program over to Adobe Community Professional. Janet & I got excited about it and recruited dozens of wonderful people like yourselves. The majority of them remain very active, to this day.

Not all of them initially felt they had anything to contribute, but once they got into it, they realized how much Janet & I saw in them. That's exciting stuff.

Report · Oct 19, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Chuck+Uebele wrote
I have a friend in two of my camera clubs that was nearly killed in an IED explosion. He couldn't talk for about 6 months. He says now it change how is brain works,making him more focused, among other things. The brain is an amazing organ.

Janet & I are WAY ahead of where we were prior to the trauma. So, in a weird way, the cerebral traumas proved to be difficult, at first, but eventually were wonderful gifts which offered us the tools to do what we are here, on Earth, to do.

Report · Oct 19, 2018

Interesting that you and Janet had the same experience as my friend.

Report · Oct 19, 2018

As I was reading I half expected the end to say the accident unlocked an area of your brain that gave you superpowers but alas, I'll have to settle for it giving you super "faith".

Report · Oct 20, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Cactus+Cowboy wrote
As I was reading I half expected the end to say the accident unlocked an area of your brain that gave you superpowers but alas, I'll have to settle for it giving you super "faith".

There's a more super power than super faith?

Report · Oct 20, 2018

Not glad about your problems, but very glad you both recovered

Report · Oct 20, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/John+T+Smith wrote
Not glad about your problems, but very glad you both recovered

Some things are supposed to happen. They shape us into who we are intended to be.

Admittedly, it took me better than 10 years to figure that out.

One of the great gifts was how much I had to learn about the brain. So, when Janet went into her Brain Aneurysm, I knew what was happening and I knew what to do.

Report · Oct 20, 2018

In 50 years of life I have been hit by a car once, shot twice {once was a speargun which actually hurt more}, I've had an air regulator burst at 12 meters (40 feet in old money) and I once bounced of the wheel of a plane because of a sudden updraft... i consider myself pretty lucky but thats probably average

of course most of that was 30 years ago and phography has come full circle in that last 30 years as museum ask for photos of monuments before they crumble and they actually want flim which should be an interesting challenge