I haven't talked about probably in more than 10 years.

是一個我大約十多年來從來不談的故事

So bear with me as I take you through this journey.

因此，請大家多多包涵

When I was 22 years old,

讓我帶著各位走完這一程

I came home from work, put a leash on my dog

我22歲的時候

and went for my usual run.

有一天下了班回家，把狗繫上狗帶

I had no idea that at that moment,

如往常那樣出去跑步

my life was going to change forever.

我沒有想到那一刻

While I was preparing my dog for the run,

會從此改變了我的一生

a man was finishing drinking at a bar,

我正在準備和我的狗一起跑步

picked up his car keys, got into a car

有個男人喝了酒從酒吧出來

and headed south,

拿起他的車鑰匙上了車

or wherever he was.

然後往南開車

I was running across the street,

沒弄清楚他往哪兒

and the only thing that I actually remember

我當時跑過馬路

is feeling like a grenade went off in my head.

還能記得的是

And I remember putting my hands on the ground

覺得好似一顆手榴彈在我頭上炸開

and feeling my life's blood

我記得我的雙手撲地

emptying out of my neck and my mouth.

感覺到我的生命之血

What had happened is, he ran a red light

從我的脖子

and hit me and my dog.

我的口腔傾盆而出

She ended up underneath the car.

發生的是

I flew out in front of the car,

他闖紅燈撞到我和我的狗

and then he ran over my legs.

我的狗被壓在車下

My left leg got caught up in the wheel well --

我在車前飛了出去

spun it around.

然後他碾過了我的雙腿

The bumper of the car hit my throat,

我的左腿給輪邊纏上了－－

slicing it open.

順著車輪捲了起來

I ended up with blunt chest trauma.

保險桿打中我的喉嚨

Your aorta comes up behind your heart, it's your major artery --

喉嚨給削開了

and it was severed, so my blood was gurgling out of my mouth.

結果是我受到胸部鈍傷

It foamed, and ... horrible things were happening to me.

大動脈跑到心臟後面

I had no idea what was going on,

那是主動脈卻割斷了

but strangers intervened,

血液從我的口腔咕嚕嚕流出

kept my heart moving, beating.

化成血泡

I say "moving," because it was quivering,

還有些可怕的事發生在我身上

and they were trying to put a beat back into it.

我完全不知道發生了什麼事

Somebody was smart and put a Bic pen in my neck

但有些陌生人介入

to open up my airway, so I could get some air in there.

讓我的心臟保持運動、跳動，我說運動

And my lung collapsed,

因為它只在微微顫動

so somebody cut me open and put a pen in there as well,

他們嘗試恢復我的心跳

to stop that catastrophic event from happening.

有個人很聰明，用一支筆管插入我的脖子

Somehow I ended up at the hospital.

通開呼吸道，讓我還能吸進一點空氣

I was wrapped in ice,

我的肺也垮了

and then eventually put into a drug-induced coma.

有人幫我切開，放了些別針進去支撐

Eighteen months later, I woke up.

以免造成嚴重災難

I was blind, I couldn't speak

不知怎的，我已經躺在醫院裡

and I couldn't walk.

全身被包著冰水

I was 64 pounds.

然後被送進藥物誘導的昏迷狀態

The hospital really has no idea what to do with people like that.

18個月後我醒來

And in fact, they started to call me a "gomer."

眼睛看不見，話也不能說

That's another story we won't even get into.

我無法走路

I had so many surgeries to put my neck back together,

瘦到只剩29公斤

to repair my heart a few times.

醫院也真的不知道

Some things worked, some things didn't.

該如何處理我這樣的人

I had lots of titanium put in me;

事實上，他們開始叫我「歌篾」(活死人)了

cadaver bones,

那是另外的故事，我們在這裡不談

to try to get my feet moving the right way.

我動了無數手術才抖正我的脖子

And I ended up with a plastic nose,

心臟也矯治了好幾次

porcelain teeth and all kinds of other things.

有些功能正常，有些不正常

But eventually, I started to look human again.

我身上放了不少鈦合金

But ...

還有大體捐贈的骨骼

It's hard sometimes to talk about these things,

好讓我的腿能正確移動

so bear with me.

結果鼻子是塑料，牙齒是搪瓷做的

I had more than 50 surgeries.

還裝了許多其它東西

But who's counting?

不過，我開始像個人樣

(Laughter)

再談這些往事，真是令人難過

So eventually, the hospital decided it was time for me to go.

因此，請大家多多包涵

They needed to open up space for somebody else

我動過50多次手術

that they thought could come back

但是，誰還去算幾次？

from whatever they were going through.

醫院終於做了決定

Everybody lost faith in me being able to recover.

該是要我出院的時候了

So they basically put a map up on the wall, threw a dart,

他們得騰出病床給別人

and it landed at a senior home, here in Colorado.

給無論遭遇了什麼

And I know all of you are scratching your head:

他們還認為有救的人

"A senior citizens' home?

人人對我的康復都沒了信心

What in the world are you going to do there?"

基本上，他們像是在牆上掛了地圖，擲飛鏢決定

But if you think about all of the skills and talent

結果我就進了一家科羅拉多州的老人院

that are in this room right now,

我知道你們都在搔腦袋：

that's what a senior home has.

「送到老人院？你到哪兒幹嘛？」

So there were all these skills and talents

但是，各位想一想

that these seniors had.

今天在這房間裡所有的技能和才智

The one advantage they had over most of you

都是老人院裡所擁有的

is wisdom,

所有這些技能和才智

because they had a long life.

那些那些老人都有

And I needed that wisdom at that moment in my life.

其中他們勝過各位大多數的一個長處

But imagine what it was like for them

就是智慧

when I showed up at their doorstep.

因為他們的人生閱歷長

At that point, I had gained four pounds, so I was 68 pounds.

我那時所需的正是那樣的智慧

I was bald.

各位可以想像當時

I was wearing hospital scrubs.

我出現在他們門前，對他們而言會是怎樣的情況

And somebody donated tennis shoes for me.

那時我胖回了1.8公斤

And I had a white cane in one hand

那就是將近31公斤

and a suitcase full of medical records in another hand.

光頭

So the senior citizens realized

身穿著醫院的寒酸院服

that they needed to have an emergency meeting.

腳穿著人家送的網球鞋

(Laughter)

一手持著白色盲人杖

So they pulled back and they were looking at each other,

另一手提著滿箱的醫療記錄

and they were going, "OK, what skills do we have in this room?

因此，所有的老人們都知道

This kid needs a lot of work."

他們需要召開一次緊急會議

So they eventually started matching their talents and skills

（笑聲）

to all of my needs.

他們往後退了一下，對望了一會

But one of the first things they needed to do

接著說「好啦，我們這房子裡有什麼辦法？

was assess what I needed right away.

這孩子有好多要弄。」

I needed to figure out how to eat like a normal human being,

他們最後開始

since I'd been eating through a tube in my chest

搭配起他們的才智和技能

and through my veins.

為我提供所需的一切

So I had to go through trying to eat again.

可是，他們首先要做的是

And they went through that process.

確定我立即需要的是什麼

And then they had to figure out:

我當時得學會

"Well, she needs furniture.

像正常人那樣進食

She is sleeping in the corner of this apartment."

因為我一直是用一根穿過胸部的管子

So they went to their storage lockers

通過靜脈進食的

and all gathered their extra furniture --

因此， 我得再重新學習如何進食

gave me pots and pans, blankets --

他們帶著我走過那整個過程

everything.

然後他們也發現：

And then the next thing that I needed

「啊，她需要家具

was a makeover.

她現在睡的是公寓的角落。」

(Laughter)

他們跑到儲物箱

So out went the green scrubs,

把多餘的家具湊在一起－－

and in came the polyester and floral prints.

給我水壺、鍋子、毛氈的

(Laughter)

所有東西

We're not going to talk about the hairstyles

接下來，我需要的是

they tried to force on me once my hair grew back.

添添妝，改改外型

But I did say no to the blue hair.

寒酸的綠色院服扔掉

(Laughter)

穿上化學纖維造的花衣

So eventually, what went on is,

（笑聲）

they decided that, well, I need to learn to speak.

我還沒說我頭髮長回來時，他們想強迫我

You can't be an independent person

做的髮型，但是我

if you're not able to speak and you can't see.

確實反對了把頭髮弄成藍色

So they figured not being able to see is one thing,

（笑聲）

but they need to get me to talk.

事情還沒完，他們還決定

So while Sally, the office manager,

我得重新學會說話

was teaching me to speak in the day --

如果不能說話、不能看見

it's hard, because when you're a kid, you take things for granted.

那就無法獨立生活

You learn things unconsciously.

他們發現要我讓能看見是一回事

But for me, I was an adult and it was embarrassing,

但他們得先讓我能說話

and I had to learn how to coordinate my new throat with my tongue

所以，辦事處主管莎莉

and my new teeth and my lips,

白天教我說話－－

and capture the air and get the word out.

那可真困難，因為

So, I acted like a two-year-old,

小時候，樣樣來得自然

and refused to work.

不知覺中就學會了

But the men had a better idea.

但是我當時已是成人，那有多難堪

They were going to make it fun for me.

我還得學習如何協調

So they were teaching me cuss-word Scrabble at night.

新的嗓門和舌頭

(Laughter)

新的牙齒和嘴唇

And then, secretly, how to swear like a sailor.

學習吸進氣來吐出話

(Laughter)

所以我就像兩歲小孩那樣

I'm going to just leave it to your imagination

拒絕服從

as to what my first words were --

但那些人有更好的主意

(Laughter)

他們為了讓我得到樂趣

when Sally finally got my confidence built.

晚上就教我來「牙言齦語」的拼說遊戲

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I moved on from there.

然後又偷偷

And a former teacher who happened to have Alzheimer's

教我如何像水手那樣罵人

took on the task of teaching me to write.

這裡，我準備讓各位想像一下

The redundancy was actually good for me.

當莎莉終於重建了我的自信後

So, we'll just keep moving on.

我首先說出來的是哪些話語

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

One of the pivotal times for me

我就從那裡繼續前進

was actually learning to cross the street again

有一位以前當老師的，他罹患了阿茲海默

as a blind person.

擔任教我寫字，這項多餘的學習

So close your eyes.

事實上對我幫助不小

Now imagine you have to cross a street.

我們繼續向進

You don't know how far that street is,

（笑聲）

and you don't know if you're going straight.

其中有一個轉捩點

And you hear cars whizzing back and forth,

就是讓我以一個盲人的身份

and you had a horrible accident

重新學會過馬路

that landed you in this situation.

請閉上眼睛，想像一下

So there were two obstacles I had to get through.

必須那樣過馬路的情況

One was post-traumatic stress disorder.

你不知道馬路有多寬

Every time I approached the corner or the curb,

你也不曉得能否筆直橫過

I would panic.

你聽到那些車聲颼颼來往

And the second one

你還有過恐怖的意外

was actually trying to figure out how to cross that street.

讓你落得這步田地

So one of the seniors just came up to me,

因此，我有兩個難關必須熬過

and she pushed me up to the corner and said,

一是嚴重創傷的後遺症

"When you think it's time to go, just stick the cane out there.

每次走近街角或是路肩

If it's hit, don't cross the street."

我會恐慌

(Laughter)

再是

Made perfect sense.

真正嘗試要怎麼橫過馬路

(Laughter)

有位老人跑上前來

But by the third cane that went whizzing across the road --

她把我推到街角上，說：

(Laughter)

「你覺得可以跨出去的時候，把盲人杖伸出去

they realized that they needed to put their resources together,

要是被撞啦，不要過馬路。」

and they raised funds

（笑聲）

so that I could go to the Braille Institute

說得有道理

and actually gain the skills to be a blind person,

不過，用到第三根盲人杖時

and also to go get a guide dog,

拐杖颼地飛過了馬路

who transformed my life.

這下他們明白了要集中資源

And I was able to return to college

於是他們集資

because of the senior citizens who invested in me,

讓我進了布萊葉學院

and also the guide dog and skill set I had gained.

在那兒學得了

Ten years later, I gained my sight back.

盲人的技能

Not magically --

也還取得了一隻導盲犬

I opted in for three surgeries,

牠改變了我的生命

and one of them was experimental.

後來我能回到大學上課

It was actually robotic surgery

都是由於這些老人對我的投資

that removed a hematoma from behind my eye.

以及那隻導盲犬和我所獲得的那些技能

The biggest change for me was that the world moved forward,

10年後，我重見光明

that there were innovations and all kinds of new things --

不是奇蹟

cellphones, laptops,

我同意動了三個手術

all these things that I had never seen before.

其中一個是實驗性質的

And as a blind person,

實際上是機控手術

your visual memory fades,

他們從我的眼後取出血腫

and is replaced with how you feel about things

對我而言

and how things sound

變化最大是整個世界往前進

and how things smell.

科技創新

So one day, I was in my room

種種新的事物－－

and I saw this thing sitting in my room.

手機、筆記型電腦

I thought it was a monster,

這些東西都是我以前沒見過的

so I was walking around it.

作為盲人的時候

And I go, "I'm just going to touch it."

你的視覺記憶會減退

And I touched it and I went,

會被你對物件的感覺所取代

"Oh my God, it's a laundry basket."

物件會發出什麼聲音

(Laughter)

物件有什麼氣味

Everything is different when you're a sighted person,

有一天，我在房間裡

because you take that for granted.

我看到這麼一個東西

But when you're blind, you have the tactile memory for things.

我以為是一頭怪物

The biggest change for me was looking down at my hands

我繞著它走

and seeing that I'd lost 10 years of my life.

我想：我要摸摸它是什麼

I thought that time had stood still for some reason

我摸了它，恍然大悟

and moved on for family and friends.

「天吶，那是個洗衣籃。」

But when I looked down,

(笑聲)

I realized that time marched on for me, too,

如果你看得見的話

and that I needed to get caught up.

所有東西都不一樣

So I got going on it.

因為你認為理所當然

We didn't have words like "crowdsourcing" and "radical collaboration"

但如果你是盲眼的

when I had my accident.

你對東西的記憶是觸覺的

But the concept held true --

我最大的改變是看著我的雙手

people working with people to rebuild me;

看到我的生命失去了10年

people working with people to reeducate me.

我想，出於某種緣故，時間靜止了

I wouldn't be standing here today

對家人和朋友們而言，時間流逝

if it wasn't for extreme radical collaboration.

但當我看下去

Thank you so much.

我明白了，時間也從我身上流逝

(Applause)

我必須追趕