Can You Replace What You've Lost?

Today's Marketing Cookie is about irreplaceable loss.

It may be possible to replace "things" you've lost like a mobile phone, a stapler, or even money, but there are some things in this world that are absolutely irreplaceable. Today's fortune would give little comfort to the thousands of people who lost precious loved ones in the senseless tragedy of September 11th. What could one say to the little boy who has just lost his dog or a little girl whose daddy gave his life in service to our country? The people we love can never be replaced, no matter how hard we may try.

David Rozelle was an Army Captain who had his foot amputated in 2003 after his Humvee hit a land mine in Iraq. He recounted the story, saying, "As we began rolling, everything exploded. My right front tire, just under my feet, detonated an anti-tank mine. The mine violently lifted the Humvee off the ground and set it back on the three remaining wheels. The blast was so powerful that most of it went out and up from the front tire, launching a door and tire a hundred meters away. Blinded by smoke and dust, I wasn't sure exactly what had just happened, but I knew we were either under attack by RPGs or artillery, or had struck a mine—and that I was injured."

"I looked down and saw blood on my arms, and through my glasses, I could see that my bulletproof vest seemed to have absorbed a lot of shrapnel. Everything was quiet. I could not speak. I was in terrible pain. I heard noises coming from my driver, screams of pain and fear. I was more confused than afraid," said David.

The Army Captain continued, "We needed to get out of the Humvee. I began to pull at my left leg, but I couldn't get it free. My left foot was trapped under the firewall and heater... It felt as if I were setting my right foot into soft mud or a sponge. I looked down to see blood and bits of bone squeezing out of the side of my right boot. I gave one big push and turned to dive into the arms of two brave men who ran selflessly into the minefield to save me. My good friend and fiercest warrior, Sergeant First Class John McNichols, grabbed me and said, 'Don't worry, sir, I've got you.'"

Having lost his leg, David was a broken man. He could have lost his self-esteem and his sense of self-worth, but somehow found a way to replace that feeling of loss with great strength and an unstoppable drive to take a stand. David Rozelle started training at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, and just ten months after his injury, he ran the New York City Marathon. At his request, he was deemed fit for duty, and in 2005, he rejoined his unit in Iraq, becoming the first amputee to return to war.

Whatever irreplaceable thing you've lost, I encourage you to think of Captain Rozelle. For he is a man who, against all odds, discovered that the fastest way to find the things he lost was to replace it with courage.