Wood's Curse

Whenever Elder Wood is near, you will find yourself in the hospital.

It amazes me quite often that in nearly 30 years of life I have avoided every accident, injury, illness, or other situation that would require a visit to the hospital, but for a single small 10 month excerpt. During those months I found myself in the Pacific and was rushed to the Emergency Room on 4 separate and completely unrelated occasions, followed later by a mysterious ailment that sent me home. The one commonality was the Elder Wood happened to be nearby.

One day Elder Wood, then one of my Zone Leaders, and I went out on splits together. Enroot to our first appointment a bike accident sent me to the emergency room.

Several weeks later again Elder Wood, still my Zone Leader, and I had spent the day together on splits. Just before we were to call it a day another trip to the ER was made when I passed out during a ward activity.

Several more weeks later Elder Wood, now an AP, was visiting our island for training purposes. Though we were not on splits that day, he ended up being the one to drive me to the ER after the pole pounder dropped on my head.

Shortly after I was transferred to another island, the same island Wood happened to be on, another trip was made to the ER after a bad reaction to some macadamia nuts.

Wood was there when I went to Mission HQ to pick up my newest companion, that day I saw the first sign of the ailment that would eventually send me home.

For his last 6 weeks in the islands, Wood was given his choice of assignments. He chose to train a greenie. That same period I was emergency transferred to the same area and just days before the 6 weeks had ended president called to tell me that it was time I headed home.

Wood and I thought we would head home on the same flight, but because of my medical problems, President decided to send me home on the first available flight. In hindsight this was probably a good thing, for if we’d flow together surely the plane would have crashed.