The Inspiration Behind the Movie The Stray
There have been
many times in my life
when I was reassured
that God knew of my
circumstances, my
needs, and was there to
help, but none quite so
dramatic as the night I
was hit by lightning and
either died or nearly
died, depending on
how you look at it.
I was backpacking
in the mountains of
Colorado with my son
and two friends, all nine
42 Solutions
or ten years-old, and
our faithful dog, Pluto.
It was late afternoon,
almost evening, in July
and it started to snow.
I got worried we might
get stuck in some sort
of freak blizzard so I
pitched our tent, got
the boys inside, and
started fixing them hot
chocolate. That’s the
last thing I remember
for an extended period
of time, because that’s
when I took a bolt of
lightning to the chest.
I don’t remember
anything about that
moment and only have
the boys’ accounts to
rely on. They tell me the
bolt came through the
roof of the tent and hit
me directly in the chest.
I know this detail to be
true because the bolt
burned a hole the size
of a silver dollar in my
undershirt.
They say the bulk of
the electricity went