I Will Survive

When I was little I fell out of a tree and onto a glass Coke bottle. In one of my first physics lessons, I would learn that if one were to fall out of a tree onto, say, a glass Coke bottle, that said bottle would have the potential off breaking on impact. I also learned that if a broken bottle comes into rapid contact with, say, the leg of a young boy, then mayhem will ensue. That bottle left a good reminder on my leg. That is the first, of many, accidents I remember.

Although, the best! would be the ER visit I was too small to remember. I have a knot two inches above my nose where I split my head open while learning to walk. Nope, don't recall a lick of it. But that had to be a fun day.

I do remember having scabs on my elbows from about 6th grade to 10th, thanks to a love of skateboarding and dirt biking sans equipment. When you're barrelling down a hill, sometimes equipment doesn't help anyway. There where also wrist burns, head knocks, finger smashes (even lost a nail once, that was cool.)

At an eye exam for the military, the optometrist asked,"So when did you break your nose?" "What? I've never broken my nose. My nose is broken?!" "Nope, don't worry about it." Huh?, oh yeah!, backyard boxing.

Few years ago, I had a friend teach me how to make sushi. While wiping the counter with one hand and holding a surgically-sharp sushi knife in the other (FYI-don't EVER wipe the counter with one hand while holding a surgically-sharp sushi knife in the other. Actually, it's probably not wise to say "surgically-sharp sushi knife" repeatedly while holding a surgically-sharp sushi knife) I poked a hole almost through my hand by hitting the tip of the knife on my thumb and it sliced through me as if I were a beautiful piece of hamachi. Which I am.

In fact, I've been hit by a car, struck by lightening, bitten by a black widow and came within a quarter-inch of severing an major artery. No joke. Then why, as I'm recounting these tales in my mind, am I smiling from ear to ear?

I survived. I lived. I live. I am bigger and more badass than ALL of those things.

And just as I smile at all of the events that have left there mark, literally, on my body, I smile at the marks left from dating as well. I'm not bitter that bottle cut me pretty damn good (I know too many who are though) instead, I laugh and think, "Hell, let's not do that again." But it didn't stop me from climbing trees, or learning new skills, or skateboarding, or bike-riding, or boxing, or trampolining!, or surfing, snowboarding, etc, etc., etc.

There's too much fun, life, adventure and love to be found to do anything but be encouraged by the scars that didn't claim you. I even almost poked my eye out while flying a kite once! That was no picnic. Actually...Haha, it was. But who cares, anyone feel like climbing a tree?