"Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me" (SSR)

“Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me” is one of those life changing pieces of literature. The author, Jerry McGill, was shot as a teenager in the back by an unknown individual that was never caught. The incident left him wheel chair bound for life. At first McGill was shattered. He lived a life full of hate for this individual that with a single shot had changed the entire course of his life. He also drowned himself in self pity for the condition he had been left in and the every day human activities he could no longer take part in such as jogging or dancing. However, one day McGill woke up and decided he was no longer going to hate himself, or pity his lifestyle. He decided that rather than feel trapped by his wheel chair he was going to embrace the fact that this was now his life and live it to the fullest. This part of the book made me think of the Serenity Prayer “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. And wisdom to know the difference.” Through his words and his actions McGill brought that prayer to life for me. When certain changes took place in my life that I had no control over, I would feel defeated and like I had no say in what was going on. However, McGill made me realize that you do not allow the situations in your life to shape you. He taught me that you have the power to change your view on life situations so that instead of harming you, they are able to help you grow as a person.