Out of Captivity : Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle

450 OUT OF CAPTIVITYbefore the accident. In Tom and in Keith, I have brothers with whom Ihave forged a bond that goes deeper than blood and bone to spirit andsoul. We continue to talk frequently, and every day I remember anewhow our friendship made survival possible.I’m a different person now. Inevitably, we all change, but those fiveplusyears worked on me in some very good ways. I have a newfoundappreciation of and patience for just about everything I do. The otherday, I had to go to the hospital for an MRI. (I still have trouble with myknee and my back.) I was told to arrive at 9:30 A.M. for a ten-o’clockappointment. I sat in the waiting room and watched as time passed.An hour went by without my name being called. Several other patientsgroused about their time being wasted. I smiled at the thought that anytime was a waste. At twelve-thirty, my name was finally called.The technician was an attractive Hispanic woman who seemed noolder than eighteen. As she led me down the hallway to the exam room,she kept apologizing for the wait.“No me importa. Ninguna necesidad de disculparse.” I told her that Ididn’t care and that there was no need to apologize.“Your Spanish is very good, as is your accent. Are you South American?”“No,” I said, laughing, “but I’ve spent some time there.”She began explaining the procedure. When she was done, she asked,“Will it bother you to have to lie very still? Some people find being inthe machine very confining.”I shook my head and said, “No. I’ll be okay.”When I got back home after the test, I climbed on my bike. I had noparticular place to go, and no particular destination in mind. Before,when I had my sport bike, my rides were tests of courage and speed,hurtling down interstates as fast as I could on those arrow straight stripsof Florida asphalt. All that’s long gone now; my adrenaline rushes havebeen satisfied. That day, I rode along State Route 66 enjoying a crispand clear New England fall day. The colors of the maple trees were vi-