LJ Idol 4.9 Entry My Scars
Jan. 7th, 2008 04:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puppetmakerI have several all with an interesting history and a funny story about each. There are a number I should have but my skin has been pretty good about not scarring for some of my more fantastic accidents.
I was trying to figure out what direction I should go with them by when I got them, head to toe, or toe to head.
Then I remember once we got into a scar contest at a Science Fiction convention. I won for best story attached to a scar visible. I have a small scar across the back of my left hand that is a reminder to me to never get ahead of myself. I got it in college when I was fencing which I loved to do. It was a match within the group during practice and we were fencing epee (It is amazing the things that you can remember). I was trying to push my advantage when I got sloppy and my partner's epee blade broke and grazed my hand that had drifted from behind me to my side which a cardinal rule to our fencing master. You kept your body such that you offer as little target as possible and you ALWAYS kept your hand out of it. After it was assessed that I was not hurt too badly, I got the sharp side of my fencing master's tongue about safety, right of way, and poor fencing form. I have always jokingly referred to it as my Heidelberg dueling scar and in a strange way am quite proud of it
A little further up the same arm is a scar that is from a razor blade which I got from a straight razor that I was rigging for Sweeny Todd. I was trying to take the razor blade out so I could put the fake blade in and it slipped and sliced rather deeply into my left arm. That one stung a lot. So that is one of my many theater scars. Underneath my hairline on the left hand side of my face there is one from where my head smacked into the pavement after I fell 16 1/2 feet to a marble floor while hanging lights for a show a friend of mine was doing. I had just gotten to where I could get up on the scaffolding and know which way was up (I have really vertigo) when the accident happened. Along with the scar, I shattered just about every bone in my left foot in place much to the Doctor's amazement.
On my left knee there is a reminder that I should always tell my parents where I am going and what I am up to. It was the last day of school. I think it was 7th grade and we saw the janitor dump a whole box of comic books on our way out of school. So me and a friend (who kind of avoided me after this) took our bikes back to the school to get the comics. Now I had just switched bikes for a bigger one and it was still a little big for me and I hadn't total control over it. I lost control going downhill and torn a large chunk out of my left knee on a curbstone. The sad thing was that the comics were not there. Probably already found by someone else. My parents were upset with me once they figured out that the injury was not life threatening, But they could tell that I had learned my lesson about telling them where I was going with my friends.
Not any on my right side really except inside my elbow on both arms where I have given blood many times, had blood drawn many times (sometimes very badly), had IV inserted and other needles stuck in there for various medical reasons. The only scar I have on my right side that is in a rather private place which was a cut my ob-gyn made the day that Caroline was born to give her enough room to come into the world. That one hurt like heck but was worth it for my baby girl to come into the world.
The only other ones are scars that are so faint I can only see them and those are on my wrist when I tried to kill myself back in grad school. They healed up nicely but they serve as a reminder of how far into the pit I have gone and crawled back out again. As hard as it seems, it is possible to come back from what feels like the lowest point in ones life. I am living proof.
So those are the memorable ones, most of the other I have I look at and try to remember where I got them. Sometimes a faint memory comes back to me and others are a total mystery.
I was trying to figure out what direction I should go with them by when I got them, head to toe, or toe to head.
Then I remember once we got into a scar contest at a Science Fiction convention. I won for best story attached to a scar visible. I have a small scar across the back of my left hand that is a reminder to me to never get ahead of myself. I got it in college when I was fencing which I loved to do. It was a match within the group during practice and we were fencing epee (It is amazing the things that you can remember). I was trying to push my advantage when I got sloppy and my partner's epee blade broke and grazed my hand that had drifted from behind me to my side which a cardinal rule to our fencing master. You kept your body such that you offer as little target as possible and you ALWAYS kept your hand out of it. After it was assessed that I was not hurt too badly, I got the sharp side of my fencing master's tongue about safety, right of way, and poor fencing form. I have always jokingly referred to it as my Heidelberg dueling scar and in a strange way am quite proud of it
A little further up the same arm is a scar that is from a razor blade which I got from a straight razor that I was rigging for Sweeny Todd. I was trying to take the razor blade out so I could put the fake blade in and it slipped and sliced rather deeply into my left arm. That one stung a lot. So that is one of my many theater scars. Underneath my hairline on the left hand side of my face there is one from where my head smacked into the pavement after I fell 16 1/2 feet to a marble floor while hanging lights for a show a friend of mine was doing. I had just gotten to where I could get up on the scaffolding and know which way was up (I have really vertigo) when the accident happened. Along with the scar, I shattered just about every bone in my left foot in place much to the Doctor's amazement.
On my left knee there is a reminder that I should always tell my parents where I am going and what I am up to. It was the last day of school. I think it was 7th grade and we saw the janitor dump a whole box of comic books on our way out of school. So me and a friend (who kind of avoided me after this) took our bikes back to the school to get the comics. Now I had just switched bikes for a bigger one and it was still a little big for me and I hadn't total control over it. I lost control going downhill and torn a large chunk out of my left knee on a curbstone. The sad thing was that the comics were not there. Probably already found by someone else. My parents were upset with me once they figured out that the injury was not life threatening, But they could tell that I had learned my lesson about telling them where I was going with my friends.
Not any on my right side really except inside my elbow on both arms where I have given blood many times, had blood drawn many times (sometimes very badly), had IV inserted and other needles stuck in there for various medical reasons. The only scar I have on my right side that is in a rather private place which was a cut my ob-gyn made the day that Caroline was born to give her enough room to come into the world. That one hurt like heck but was worth it for my baby girl to come into the world.
The only other ones are scars that are so faint I can only see them and those are on my wrist when I tried to kill myself back in grad school. They healed up nicely but they serve as a reminder of how far into the pit I have gone and crawled back out again. As hard as it seems, it is possible to come back from what feels like the lowest point in ones life. I am living proof.
So those are the memorable ones, most of the other I have I look at and try to remember where I got them. Sometimes a faint memory comes back to me and others are a total mystery.
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 10:18 pm (UTC)When they took me to the doctor (or emergency room - dunno which) to get me stitched up, the doctor told me (I hadn't been crying or anything - guess it didn't hurt) that I should probably yell since it might hurt. According to my parents, I shouted out "poobie poobie poobie!" in response to that.
I remember VERY little about this event, but I have a very nice scar to show for it. (4 stitches, apparently. My sister at aged 7 got 7 stitches for a cut on her chin once. Now that I'm 37, I don't want to cut myself badly cuz 37 stitches seems a bit excessive.)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 12:42 am (UTC)I'm slightly pockmarked on my forehead from having had chicken pox AT AGE 19, freshman year of college. Yes it took 'til then for me to get it (my brother had gotten it while I was in Mom's womb, and that, um, wasn't close exposure enough.)
I'm barely scarred from probably my worst injury, a face-first fall of a few feet off of a ledge and into the alleyway next to it. My own doctor uncle cleaned up my face. My Healing Factor did the rest; the only mark is a little scar in that divot under the nose whose name I can never remember.
But generally, I have a lousy memoy for what caused scars and bruises. We still can't decide if a slight discoloring on my front teeth was from that same fall or from a medicine reaction.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 12:48 am (UTC)I read the whole thing.
I've never been that far into the pit -- I tend more towards frustration than suicidal depression in my low moments -- but friends of mine have come close. The closest they came were unsuccessful attempts. I'm glad they're still living. I'm glad you are, too. (And Peter, I'm sure, is very glad.
Live well, ma'am.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 02:35 am (UTC)Still, fun work. Now I'll only envision your visible scars though. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 04:40 am (UTC)it was a really well written entry.
Good job.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 05:48 am (UTC)Great entry!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-09 09:46 pm (UTC)One thing you might want to change:
I have several all with
would read better as:
I have several scars, all with
no subject
Date: 2008-01-09 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-10 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-10 03:44 pm (UTC)There is a word for some of those scars: "survivor."
no subject
Date: 2008-01-11 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-11 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-11 06:15 am (UTC)I have several mysterious scars too. I wonder if I never knew where they came from or maybe I just forgot?
Our scars do say we are survivors though!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-12 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 06:20 pm (UTC)PS- Very glad, indeed, that you climbed out of the pit. :)