"Who have
you inspired
Today?"
John F.
Register
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Why IZone?
Hi – My name is John Register and I am the creator of the IZone for Inspired Communications. Part of my keynote speech, "Hurdling Adversity", discusses ways in which all of us can give back to our communities and there-by becoming inspirations to others. I have developed this page to do just that.
The IZone is a place where you can come to get inspiration. Having a bad day at the office, visit the IZone! Having an off day at school, visit the IZone! The stories you find here are sure to lift your spirits.
At the IZone, you will find people, companies, organizations, and associations, who have made tremendous impacts on society or on my life.
First Edition Story
Because this is the first edition I searched high and low trying to come up with the right person who has most inspired me. I thought about all the things that have happened during the past year. Like, the successful start up of the Paralympic Academy, a National Youth Outreach program for children with physical disabilities. Or, the soldiers who have come back injured from serving our country in Iraq or Afghanistan and have the attitude of going back over to serve. As inspirational as those stories are, none seemed to fit. It was then that I realized that my first story was staring me right in the face.
My wonderful wife Alice Marie Register! She is truly my inspiration. She is my companion, my lover, and my friend. She is the one who believes in me when others don’t. She is also the one that keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground when my head swells so much that it can’t get it through the door.
Alice Marie Register, I salute you! I salute my beautiful, wonderful, awesome, lovely, and sexy wife.
Alice Marie Register, My Inspiration!
Alice and I met at Pomfret Hall on the campus of the University of Arkansas in 1987. She was a freshman at the University and I a senior. Her high school government teacher Mr. Martin told her to stay away from three individuals when she arrived on the U of A Campus; City Boys, Athletes and Omega’s. Well, when someone tells you don’t look in that direction, the first thing you usually do is look in, “that direction”. Little did Alice know that when we first started dating I fit all three of those classifications from which her government teacher had told her to stay away?
We were married on August 14, 1988 in a little church in rural Arkansas. My father performed the wedding. Both Alice and I were nervous standing before my father and taking those vows of matrimony in front of the people there. I don’t think that anyone really realizes how deep those vows run until the marriage hits its times of testing.
About three months after we were married I went off to basic training.
As a couple we had our share of ups and downs. I caused most of the downs and Alice always brought us back up. Like most guys I had to begin to understand how to approach my new wife. I still struggle with approaching her to this day.
When my accident happened on May 20th, 1994, Alice and I had been married six years. We had lived at Fort Dix, NJ, Presidio of San Francisco, CA and Bitburg, Germany. We had also gone through my deployment to operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as well as my annual 6-week treks across the country from NJ to CA to participate in All-Army competitions.
On the 25th of May the doctors amputated my left leg. I was feeling really depressed. Though, I was trying to cheer up everyone who called in for support, I was beginning to question my identity as a man with one leg.
On Friday morning my Alice wheeled me outside to the playground behind the hospital. I watch as Alice pushed our 5-year-old son, John Jr, on the swing set. The playground was not accessible to wheelchairs, so, I watched from paved walkway sum 30 feet away. I remember my son calling out to me, "look at me Daddy!..I’m going higher!" as my Alice pushed him higher on the swing.
I began to remember all the times I pushed John on the swing at Fort Dix and Presidio. I thought about the struggles that Alice and I were going through. I thought about how I really should have been there more for my wife and son. I was mentally immobilized. I physically could not get out of that wheelchair and walk over the gravel in order to push my son on the swing and laugh with my wife. I was demoralized and dejected. A flood of emotion came over me and I began to ask myself the question, "Who am I now?" I am still a father? I am still a husband? Am I still a soldier? Who am I? Will people accept me for who I am?
I started to break down and sob. Alice, my wonderful wife, seeing that something was wrong with me, came over from the swing and put her arms around me and cried with me. She knelt beside me and put here arms around me. The warmth of her touch and the compassion she was showing was melting me to new beginning. Then she spoke the words of life to me that I will never forget as long as I live.
"John, we will get through this together." Those words were the first words spoken to me that gave me hope that I could come back from such and injury. Not to an all-Star track and field athlete, but rather to a husband and father.
In my speeches now I never fail to mention that many couples when they take the marriage vows want to take the health, but they don’t want to take the sickness. They love to have the, "for better", but not love the, "for worse". When Alice consoled me in the park on May 25th, I saw my wife for the first time as not just my marriage partner, but rather I saw her as my helpmate, my confidant.
Alice epitomizes the word "wife". She is a nurturer, a helper, a sustainer, a confidant, a lover and a friend. Thank you Alice for choosing me to wed! I love you.
Your Husband John
John Register is an inspirational and motivation speaker. He uses life examples to help lift the dreams of others. For more information on having John speak at your next event please visit his website at www.johnregister.com or call Inspired Communications at 719 659 1473.
If you liked what you read would you please let us know by emailing us your comments to info@johnregister.com? Your few minutes to write a note are appreciated.
If you would no longer like to receive the IZone, please email us at StopIZone@johnregister.com.
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