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The Magic of Life

Michael Gershe's Story

      Most people can remember the drunken driving incident that affected their life, but I was hit by a drunken driver when I was barely 8 weeks old. The driver plowed into our car as we returned from visiting my grandparents in New York City. My Aunt told me that the impact woke up so many people who were sleeping comfortably in their own beds that night. Back in 1970, there were no car seats as there are today and my mother was holding me in her arms on that fatal night. The force of the impact was so great that I ended up between the door and the dashboard of our mangled car.

      Nearly all my bones were broken, my skull was fractured, but yet I survived. The doctors had no idea how I survived and for months I had to be taken to the hospital to make sure I did not have any brain damage. My friends and certainly some ex-girlfriends would say I had brain damage for sure! What probably saved me for dying was the fact that I was mostly cartilage and my bones did not form. My father and brother suffered minor injuries caused by that drunk driver, who by the way was driving with a suspended license. I was able to get the accident report from the police department over 30 years later because I wanted to know more about the man who took something very important from me – my mother, Barbara Gershe, who was killed in that drunk driving incident.

      Despite breaking almost all my bones, I grew up quite normally with little physical scars of the incident. Growing up, I had to tell people, such as teachers, that my mother was deceased. When I reflect back on it now, it’s sad, because I have no memory of the woman that gave me life. She never got to see her son become a competitive swimmer who later went on to earn a collegiate swimming scholarship. My over imaginative mind lead me to become a magician thru my teen to early 20’s, but my main goal, as I declared in Junior High was to be a comedian.

      Although I performed comedy when I was 18, I did not get serious about it until I was in my last semester in graduate school. Within a few months, I was actually getting paid to make people laugh and I never take for granted my time on the stage. For some reason, I was still alive and perhaps it was to make people laugh, but in graduate school, the plan to do something even more powerful developed.

      One of my students that I advised in student government knew I did magic and knew of my story of being a victim/survivor of a drunken driving incident. She asked if I would put on a program for her sorority. I never really shared my story apart from my close friends, so this was an opportunity to educate others from the dangers of alcohol. I used some magic tricks to illustrate some points and I shared my plight as a victim/survivor with college students. The program was called, “The Magic of Life” and I am fortunate to share it with high school and college students all these years later.

      “The Magic of Life” is dedicated not only to my mother, but to all people that are affected by drunken driving. It combines comedy, audience participation, for an entertaining, but yet educational program about the dangers of alcohol. I am able to use my skills as a comedian to make people laugh before I shock them about my story, which, according from the feed back makes for a more powerful message.

      Being a college administrator for over 12 years is also helpful because I work with students on a daily basis. I know how alcohol can impact their lives not just academically, but socially. ”The Magic of Life” is just not an alcohol awareness program; it’s about going after your dreams. I know firsthand how precious life can be, and my dream came true of being a comedian. I want others to go after their dreams instead of making bad decisions in their lives.

      On May 1^st, 2004, one of my best friends was drunk as he climbed into his truck to head home. While “Big” John was being pulled over by a police officer about four blocks from his home, he lost control and hit a tree. “Big” John knew my story for 15 years and yet, he did not heed the message about drunken driving. Never in a million years would I think one of my best friends would die from drunken driving incident, much less, drive drunk.

      I want students to know that if it can happen to me when I was an infant, or happen to one of my best friends, then being affected by a drunken driver can affect them. The theme of the program is “feel your pulse, live your dream” because if you are able to feel your pulse, then it is a good day, and your dreams can come true. “The Magic of Life” is dedicated to my mother and the thousands lost every year due to drunken driving. As someone who has been impacted throughout his entire life by this problem, I hope “The Magic of Life” will impact someone to make the right choices in life so they too can feel the high of living out their dreams.

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