January 20 started out as another one of those ordinary days. I was on the way to work when I suddenly remembered I’d forgotten something. I bossed my brother to turn the car around and head back home so I could get the forgotten item. It was the paper bag with my sports attire in it, which I’d prepared the night before. The faculty sports fest was on again. I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.
Everything went well. The basketball game was very tight. It seemed that our opponents were simply too tall, or too quick, or too lucky. One of them pulled my hair. Good thing I’m not one to take revenge easily - because her hair is far longer than mine - I didn’t pull hers. Instead, I took the winning shot, 34-33. We won. Ha!
The volleyball game began the way the basketball game did. We were terribly under-manned. Still, we fought on. I guess we were just high with the basketball win. We lost the first set and was fighting to get the second when IT happened. The elbow came crashing down quick as lightning SMASH!!! right into my face. I felt my front tooth come loose, my mouth filled with the iron taste of blood. I numbly pushed the tooth back into place with my tongue. Then came the sudden blast of incredible pain. Everything moved ever so slowly after that. I wasn’t even aware of what was happening. All I was aware of was the intense sharpness of the pain and the taste of blood. I don’t remember ever having an outer body experience, but it must be like that, like you’re somewhere distant watching your body being moved like a separate entity.
Rush to the nearest hospital, stitches and things. My lips swelled and ballooned and blackened. But I laughed it off, nonchalantly. This wasn’t really happening, was it? Rush to the dental clinic. More stitches and things, such as steel bars across four teeth, and a huge amount of money lost. Laugh it off, laugh it off. It wasn’t really happening, was it? It was January 20 - an ordinary day.
But too many people are too kind. Somehow, January 20 doesn’t matter anymore. It feels like it happened so long ago, if it ever did. It might have happened to another person, who cannot laugh quite so well. I can laugh freely now, painlessly, if a bit uncomfortably. The days come and go as they always do, ordinary days, like all other ordinary days.
(posted elsewhere 30 Jan 2006)
Everything went well. The basketball game was very tight. It seemed that our opponents were simply too tall, or too quick, or too lucky. One of them pulled my hair. Good thing I’m not one to take revenge easily - because her hair is far longer than mine - I didn’t pull hers. Instead, I took the winning shot, 34-33. We won. Ha!
The volleyball game began the way the basketball game did. We were terribly under-manned. Still, we fought on. I guess we were just high with the basketball win. We lost the first set and was fighting to get the second when IT happened. The elbow came crashing down quick as lightning SMASH!!! right into my face. I felt my front tooth come loose, my mouth filled with the iron taste of blood. I numbly pushed the tooth back into place with my tongue. Then came the sudden blast of incredible pain. Everything moved ever so slowly after that. I wasn’t even aware of what was happening. All I was aware of was the intense sharpness of the pain and the taste of blood. I don’t remember ever having an outer body experience, but it must be like that, like you’re somewhere distant watching your body being moved like a separate entity.
Rush to the nearest hospital, stitches and things. My lips swelled and ballooned and blackened. But I laughed it off, nonchalantly. This wasn’t really happening, was it? Rush to the dental clinic. More stitches and things, such as steel bars across four teeth, and a huge amount of money lost. Laugh it off, laugh it off. It wasn’t really happening, was it? It was January 20 - an ordinary day.
But too many people are too kind. Somehow, January 20 doesn’t matter anymore. It feels like it happened so long ago, if it ever did. It might have happened to another person, who cannot laugh quite so well. I can laugh freely now, painlessly, if a bit uncomfortably. The days come and go as they always do, ordinary days, like all other ordinary days.
(posted elsewhere 30 Jan 2006)
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