Ten Buck Buddies

By Scott Reddoch

I was lying in a hospital bed in New Orleans, coming out of anesthesia. Two strokes to my brainstem left me paralyzed and unable to speak. I could hear everything. I just couldn’t move or talk.

That’s when I heard the doctor tell my mother I had a 10% chance to live four more months.

I was terrified. Trapped in my own body, listening to my death sentence. And in that moment, I started thinking about all the time I had wasted. Not any particular moment. Just time I wanted back. Time I threw away on things that didn’t matter.

I remembered letting a friendship end over less than ten dollars.

We went to dinner. Three of us. One guy ordered appetizers without asking. I didn’t order them. I didn’t eat them. When the bill came, it was split evenly three ways. A portion of my share went to food I never touched.

I had a big problem with that.

Me and the guy who ordered the appetizers made up after a few weeks, but the friendship was never the same. We let something worth less than $10 damage something that was worth way more.

Lying in that hospital bed, unable to move, that ten-dollar argument felt like one of the stupidest things I’d ever done.

I spent seven months in the hospital. The first three months were about staying alive while struggling with the fact that I was paralyzed. I hallucinated a lot. The facilities were scary. I would have died there.

About four months in, doctors discovered I could communicate. They sent me to a rehabilitation program. A nurse there got down at eye level and spoke directly to me. That hadn’t happened in months. My mother saw it flip a switch in me. That was the moment I knew I could survive.

I still keep in touch with that nurse. I always will.

When I got out, I started making changes. I began working on being fully present in my moments. It doesn’t cost money. You can start right away. I developed an appreciation for time that I didn’t have before.

I see my time now as bonus time. Not many people get another chance like this. I want to get everything I can from the moments I have.

I started focusing on what actually matters. Being the best version of myself to everyone around me. Being remembered as kind and fair and selfless. Helping shed light on what’s important.

If I could talk to my past self, I’d say this: Be present in your moments. Don’t let small things end a relationship. Be very cautious of mediocrity.

Mediocrity is a silent killer. It’s safe and familiar. I’ve seen it destroy hope, relationships, and careers. It’s patient. Any time you reach out of your comfort zone, mediocrity will remind you why you shouldn’t.

Getting back to the ten-dollar thing. That was pride whispering in my ear, telling me money was worth more than my friend.

Happy isn’t found in money. It’s in relationships.