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1MyStrokeofLuckIthappenedonthewayhomefromameetinginFillmore,40milesnorthofLosAngeles.MyfriendNoelBlanc,ahelicopterpilot,offeredtogivemearidebacktothecity.Wewere50feetintheairwhenwecollidedwithasmallplaneflownbyaflightinstructorandhisyoungstudent.NoelandIsurvived,butthemenintheplanediedinstantly.Idon’trememberbeingpulledfromthewreckageortheambulancetriptoanearbyhospital.ButIdoremembermywife,Anne,staringdownatmeonmygurney.Afterhearingoftheaccident,Annetookahelicoptertoreachme.SheinsisteronmovingmetoourneighborhoodhospitalinL.A.,Cedars-Sinaimedicalcenter.Anotherhelicopterride.JustwhatIneeded!ButAnnewasright.InL.A.Icouldgetthebestcareformyspinalinjuryandstartseeingpsychiatristsformyveryreal“survivor’sguilt”.Annehassuchgoodjudgmentandintuition;sherarelymakesawrongdecision.Afterall,shefirstsavedmylifein1958,whensherefusedtoletmejoinfilmproducerMikeToddonhisfatalflight.Shesavedmeagainaftermystrokein1995,whenIbecomedepressedandsuicidal.Anne’ssecretisthatshelearnsfromlife,thenmoveson.BorninHanoverGermany,shefledtoBelgiumtoescapefascismasateenager.ShethenmovedtoParis,survivingtheoccupationbyputtingherlinguisticabilitytowork.FluentinFrench,English,ItalianandhernativeGerman,shesupported2herselfbyplacingGermansubtitleonFrenchfilms.Wemetin1953whenIwasinParistostarinActofLove.Iwaslookingforanassistant,andAnneBuydensshowedupatmydressingroomforaninterview.Sheworeabluesuitwithawhitecollar,andhadverydelicatewristsandankles.Quitestriking.Iexplainedthepositionandshepolitelysaid.“Idon’tthinkthisjob’srightforme.”Iwasmiffed.HereIwasanAmericanmoviestar.Iexpectedhertobeeagerforthisjob.Shedidaccepttheposition,butonlyonatemporarybasis.Andsheeventuallyagreedtogooutwithme,whichhadbeenmyfirstthoughtanyhow.Butthattooksomedoingonmyparttoo.Afterourfirstmeeting,IcalledtoinvitehertosupperatTourd’Argent,oneofParis’sbestrestaurants,withfantasticviewsoftheSeine.“No,”shesaid,“I’mtired.IthinkI’lljustmakemyselfsomeeggsandgotobed.”Mythoughtthenwas,tohellwithher.Butitwasjustthatpoignantstylethatmademefallinlove.Duringthefollowingmonths,whileIwasfilmingUlyssesinItalian,anneoftenmetupwithme.In1954,whenournextjobsthreatenedtokeepusapartformonthsatatime,IrealizedIdidn’twanttoloseherandaskedhertomarryme.WeslippedawaytoLasVegastotietheknot.Forty-sevenyearsofmarriageisquiteajourney.Annehaskeptmegoingthroughsomeofthehardesttimes,whichhasn’talwaysbeeneasy,giventhatI’msometimesanactorwrappedupinhisego.Afterthecrash,Icouldn’tsitwithoutextremepain.Whenwewentout,Annewouldputmeintherearof3thestationwagon,whereIcouldstretchout.Atdinnerwithfriends,she’dsetaplaceformeasifitwerethemostnaturalthingintheworldtoeatlyingonthecouch.Sheconsoledmeduringmysurvivor’sanguish,butwhatshewouldn’ttolerate—andhere’stheimportantthing—wasmefeelingsorryformyself.Thenagain,I’veneverseenherfeelsorryforherselfeither.ThirtyyearsagoAnneunderwentdiagnosticsurgeryafterfindingalumpinherbreast.Herdoctorreportedthetumorwasmalignant,anditwasspreading.HeencouragedmetoauthorizehimtoremoveAnne’sbreastthenandthere.Idid.After,Ifeltguiltyhavingmadethatchoicewhileshelayunconscious.AnneassuredmethatI’ddonetherightthing.Shedealtwiththecancer,fromwhichshehasfullyrecovered,byhelpingothers—talkingtogroupsaboutherexperiences,andestablishingResearchforWomen’sCancerswithsixfellowsurvivors.Overtheyearsthey’veraised$9milliontohelpfinancearesearchfacilityatCedars-Sinai.AnnerecentlyreadanarticleaboutthedeplorablestateofschoolplaygroundsinL.A.,andstartedaprogramtorebuildandbeautifythem.That’smywife’smethod,findingwaysherlifecanhelpothers.I’vebeenthebeneficiaryofthatpracticemanytimes.TheafternoonIhadmystroke,AnnewasplayingbridgewithBarbaraSonata,andIwashomegettingamanicure.Whenmyspeechstartedtoslur,themanicurist,aformernurse,immediatelyphonedAnne.Mywifewashomewithintenminutesandhadme4atthehospitalwithinanhour.Althoughshewasmyrescuer,Anne,whobelievesintoughlove,wasn’tabouttoletmejustliearound.Duringmyrecovery,shekickedmeoutofbedeachmorningtogetmeworkingwithmyspeechtherapist.ShetaughtmeexercisesthathelpedherwhenshewaslearningtospeakEnglish,likeputtinga\d\beforea\j\tosay“just”.Mytherapistwasimpressed.Oneday,feelingproudofmyprogress,Isaid,“Ithinkasatreat,tomorrowI’dliketohavebreakfastinbed”.Annelookedatmeandsaid,“You’dlikebreakfastinbed?Ithinkyou’dbettersleepinthekitchen!”ThemostdifficultconsequenceofmystrokewasthedepressionIsuffered.WhileIwasgoingthroughit,Anneenduredmymoodsbutdidn’tallowmetocomplain.Inthemidstofwritingmylatestbook,mystrokeofluck,Ihadanepiphany,inspiredbymywife.Howtohandleastrokeishowtohandlelife.Theworldisfilledwithpeoplewhohavesufferedonemisfortuneoranother.Whatsetsthesurvivorsapartfromtheothersisthewillingnesstomoveon,andtohelpothersmoveontoo.AnnehasbeendoingthatforaslongasI’veknownher.5MyStrokeofLuck译文1菲尔莫位于洛杉矶北部，距洛杉矶40英里，事情就发生在我从菲尔莫开会回家的路上。当时我有一个开直升机的朋友，他叫诺儿布兰克，说要送我回城。我们飞到50英尺高空时，撞上了一架小型飞机，飞机驾驶舱里有一位飞行员教练和一名年轻的学生。诺尔和我死里逃生，但是小型飞机里的两个人却当场死亡了。我不记得怎样被从飞机残骸中被拖出来，也不记得被救护车拉到附近医院的事情了。但是，我实实在在地记得我妻子安妮坐在我的轮床上一直（急切地）盯着我。安妮一听说我出事就搭乘直升机来到我身边了。她坚持把我转到洛杉矶心爱医疗中心，这家医院就在我家附近。换乘直升机，是我此刻最需要的（反语）。我1995年中风，深感沮丧，并有自杀倾向，她又