Heart of the Treasure Valley: A drunken driver took away his future; he created a new one by giving to others.

June 29--It's his turn to speak. The walker helps him keep his balance as he makes his way to the podium. He pauses to find his equilibrium, then straightens and eyes his audience.

It's a surprisingly full room of people who have been court-ordered to attend. The class is called the Victim Impact Panel and the class fee goes to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The attendees span every imaginable age, race and income.

Mike Clegg, 65, has seen all kinds of people, just like them, in his 25 years of speaking. That's the frustration.

That is also his hope: that someone pays attention to what he says. He minces no words.

"You guys, I was hit by a drunk driver.

"It really changed my life forever and I want you to put yourself in my shoes. I hurt, so bear with me, you guys, my knees hurt -- and it's been over 34 years that I've had to put up with this stuff. And however long I'm going to live in this messed-up body, I'm going to have to put up with this pain.

"Doctors can help me somewhat, but they cannot cure me. ... "

Mike starts at the beginning. His family moved to Alaska when he was young. His dad was a truck driver and that's what he was going to grow up to do, plain and simple. Some guys, he says with self-deprecating humor, have an inclination to chase beautiful women. He, on the other hand, has an eye for beautiful trucks.

"To this day, I'm in love with trucks. I love fancy Peterbilt trucks and Kenworth. ... "

As soon as he could, Mike drove trucks, reveling in the freedom of the road. He was driving all over Alaska, seeing amazing sights, making good money.

"I was pretty good at my job. Or I think I was. Maybe I wasn't -- depends on who you talk to. But they made me a truck foreman a couple of jobs. ...

"Life couldn't be better."

Someone else's driving took all that away.

"I used to have a good life. I had three snow machines at one time, a fancy car -- Chevy hotrod.

"I never been married, but I knew, well, after I reach 25, my truck driving insurance will go down. I thought, I'll wait. Then I'll think about getting married.

"Little did I know what the future had in store for me."

One Alaska winter, on Jan. 6, 1974, Mike was the passenger in a car that was hit head-on by a drunken driver -- a repeat offender.

"We were doing 35 mph; ... the cops told my mom (that the other driver) was doing between 80 and 100 in a 35-mile zone and hit us head-on. Knocked us backward 150 feet.

"Well. (He pauses.) It killed Craig almost immediately. From what I heard, (the other driver) was out of the hospital in a day and a half.

"I was not so lucky. For me, I was knocked unconscious for two months."

Mike recovered in a nursing home for seven more months. He remembers watching the trees grow buds in the spring and change color in the fall. The thing that pained him most was hearing trucks rumble down the road outside his window.

"It used to tear my heart out. I wanted to get on the road."

He continues in a rush of words directed to his audience.

" ... Driving is a wonderful privilege. It's not a right; it's a privilege. ...

"I just want to say: Please, please, you guys, be careful. Don't mess with your life; don't drink and drive. It's just not worth it. I mean, what gives you the right to go barreling down the road, running into somebody else, messing up their life?"

Mike's injuries are in his brain stem, which affects his balance, his vision and his speech. He's fallen so many times that his knees ache constantly, along with whatever else gets tangled up -- his elbow, his ribs. He has spasms in his hips, legs and arms.

"People that break their legs, their arms or legs, God bless them, I'm sorry for them. That part heals. But my brain will never heal. ...

"I had to learn how to do everything -- everything -- all over. ... "

He's not asking for sympathy or pity. But he wants these offenders to know.

"My equilibrium is shot. I have trouble walking. I really have trouble on uneven ground or stairs.

"I've shot two moose and one caribou; I would love to be able to hunt elk -- if I could finally get an elk, I'd play heck trying to get him out. I have spasms in my fingers whenever I try to eat. This (shirt) has snaps on it; I really have a lot of trouble tying my shoes...

"I can't write very good. I think I can write OK, but then I get away from it, do something else for 10 minutes, come back to look at it -- what does that say? I can't read it.

"Guys, I'm not a quitter. I keep trying..."

In searching for a way to make sense of what happened to him, Mike -- who jokes that in his younger years he wouldn't have been found within 10 miles of a church -- found a faith in God that, one could say, keeps his spiritual equilibrium on solid footing. (In his speaking, he clarifies that this is not part of the MADD message.)

"After years of being alone, spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's all alone, birthdays and all that, I finally asked the Lord Jesus into my life. Now, guys, I have the Lord Jesus. I'm not alone no more.

"I have friends. He's with me all the time. ... "

As for the driver who caused the crash:

"I used to have animosity towards him but I've -- heck, we all make mistakes; I've made mistakes. ...

"What good would it do to be mad at him? ... You just have to be mature enough to forgive the guy. So he made a mistake. I don't like it, but that's the way it is. ...

"I've asked, 'Why me?' But I believe if God did have something to do with (the crash), he's turned it into good. ... The Holy Spirit and I have helped so many people by relaying to them what can happen if you mess with your life. ... "

One of his oft-repeated phrases:

"You make the best of a bad situation. ... "

So that's what Mike does with his time and his life. Several years after the crash, he took a road trip, complete with a detour to visit an aunt in Idaho, and never got around to leaving. The speech he gave for MADD was his last one after 24 years of speaking all over Idaho and eastern Oregon. He continues to donate blood, having given exactly 21 gallons and one pint, one pint at a time. He volunteered at the Humane Society for years and years, working with the dogs and assembling gift packs.

"I've helped so many other people. I just thank God. I mean, I'm sad I can't go drive a truck anymore. Those new Peterbilts -- I'd love to get in one of those.

"But the Lord and I have made something positive out of this life. I just want so much to help other people."

In many ways, Mike has lost a lot -- the future he thought he had, the physical ability to do whatever he wanted. He jokes that he can no longer be the world's fastest typist or a good speed reader.

" ... Dancing and girls and climbing and hunting and all this. I have spasms; it's so hard for me to tie my fishing line -- so hard, I can't even do it.

"But (I hope I can let) people know there's hope for you.

"Sure, your life (might have) changed dramatically, but trust in the Lord. He'll help you. The Holy Spirit will come into your life and (God) will give you a purpose, (God will) give you a reason for living.

"You're not just a bump on the road like I used to think I was."

Although he falls frequently and is in a lot of pain, Mike still has his sense of humor. (How does he keep it? "Looking in the mirror," he quips.)

"I never would have made it without the Lord and a sense of humor. ...

"Make the most of this life. Sure, things are tough ... but you can turn this problem into a blessing for other people.

"You can show people there's more to life than just hurt and pain. You can make lemonade out of lemons, you know. ...

"God bless you, thank you. God bless you."

Know someone living "from the heart"? Idaho Statesman photojournalist Katherine Jones spotlights someone in the Treasure Valley who influences our lives not only by what they do, but how and why they do it. Do you know someone we should know? Call 377-6414 or email kjones@idahostatesman.com.

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