I was very thrilled when I saw the weekend engagement topics of this week. I felt immediatly drawn towards the Childhood Accidents one. Now that might sound strange, but I am in fact a very very clumsy person. So if there is anything I can write about with experience it is this topic! But I will focus on only one of my accidents here! The time I sacrificed my elbow for a sandwich, and then realizing that was a horrible trade...
The Accident
I was 7 years old and playing outside with my friends, having a good time. We realized we were hungry but it was still two hours before dinner, so I offered to go home and bring back a sandwich so we could keep on playing. I went home, made a sandwich and ran back out to meet my friends.
Only, I tripped on a tile of the garden path which sent me flying in the air. As I was flying through the air I realized I didn't want to drop my sandwich, as I was hungry. So in all my stupidity, in a reflex, I decided not to fall on my hand (holding the sandwich) but I stuck out my elbows instead.
Now if I can give you any advice in life at all, don't ever break a fall with your elbows. Really. Don't. The moment I landed I realized the gravity of my mistake as with a nauseating crack my weight came down on my right elbow and I was left screaming in pain. My parents came to see what all the noise was about and quickly realized I had done something to my arm.
The Aftermath
When we got to the hospital it turned out to be a bit worse than we had thought. I had managed to break the joint in not one, not two but three places. Including my funny bone, which in fact is not funny at all! I needed surgery to put it all back together and they put two large pins in my elbow and stuck the whole things in a massive cast that ran from my fingers to my arm pit. I wish I had pictures, but it turns out no pictures were taken of the cast!
And the funny thing was that because of my love for the sandwich I broke my elbow, but then was no longer allowed to eat as I needed surgery. I spent the entire time in the hospital hungry haha.
It was actually my first major accident, but not my last at all, as I would go on later to break a hand, 4 ribs (on 2 seperate occasions) and my ankle, but those are stories for a different time!