a chronicle of accidents

approx. 6 years old:  running from my brother who was throwing magnolia cones at me, tipped up a piece of sharp slate and slashed the top of my right foot.  saw bone.  many, many stitches.

second grade: carrying downstairs a basket of laundry piled well over my face, slipped on an angled step.  broke left arm.  thought the cast was pretty cool, though.

later in the second grade: caught chicken pox while visiting infected cousin in florida.  spread it to and nearly shut down my elementary school.  this was through no fault of mine, but i’m guessing i was still resented for it.

about 9:  slipped in the bathtub, falling forward onto the broken water handle.  a gash next to my armpit.

the ’94-’95 accident term:

• first:  summer in brevard, NC- visited Sliding Rock, and slid on a rock.  knocked out front tooth and half its neighbor.
• and then:  pumpin’ out my new rollerblades!  turnin’ a circle!  fracturin’ my arm.
• really?  there’s more?:  we’re on our way to the beach, how ’bout a big gulp?  slammed my middle finger in the car door.  delayed the trip, upset my mom (“you always get hurt on vacation!!!”) and held my bag-wrapped hand in the air as i stood in the ocean.

12 years old: gathering pecans off the ground.  bit by a poisonous spider.  got a shot, 3 weeks of antibiotics and a permanent indentation above my left wrist.

april 2007: slipped up the stairs on a rainy night after work.  broke big toe.  required a cane for 6 weeks.

winter ’08:  in ichinoseki, walking home from the grocery store.  slipped on the ice, flinging my goods everywhere.  many stares and no help.  scraped knee,  wounded pride.

more to come.

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