There is something oddly nostalgic about Autumn. For whatever reason, whenever the start of the season comes along, I find myself thinking back to earlier times when things were different. Most of these things never ended up well. Now a lot of people say that recalling events good or bad from our lives is the essence of growing. Sometimes, however, we’re not sure what we were supposed to learn from those events. Take me for instance.
It was my junior year in highschool and I was a member of our high school’s band. Every couple of years the band would take a trip down to Disney World as well as several of the beaches. On the first day we arrived, we stopped at Cocoa Beach in Brevard County and spent the rest of the day there.
Most people of course, always make a beeline for the water. I decided fatefully, I would do the same. However, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to do this while still wearing my glasses. If you know me, you also know that I am completely blind. Wading out into the ocean I soon found myself unable to see as a wave had crested and knocked my glasses off.
Now, for those who know, losing your glasses is a terrible sensation and a bad place to find yourself in. Now place yourself in the ocean in the middle of a beach while trapped in Florida for a week. After getting help getting back to shore -I couldn’t tell where the shoreline was- I was sitting on the beach with the world looking like the inside of a lava lamp.
After unsuccessfully attempting to find glasses in a nearby CVS and going through several other band members glasses I was forced to remain blind for the rest of the week.
I then decided to cheer myself up with a game of beach soccer that had sprung up nearby. After a series of completely unpredictable events, I was struck in the leg by someone wearing cleats. In addition to hurting a great deal, my leg swelled up to the size of a tennis ball and was compounded by that I couldn’t see the injury because blindness. Walking was difficult but I couldn’t tell why so I had to find a friend who then had to help me make a damage report. The consequent screaming of “oh my god!” was all the answer I needed, the doctor would have to call it, dead on arrival. The kick gave me an eight inch long hematoma, which is a super bruise, that I still partially have to this day. Being hobbled and blinded made me into a pirate for the duration of the stay.
On the plus side, my friend had a set of glasses that worked for me, the downside being they were thick and purple. Having to wear them for the rest of the week resulted in other tourists and probably Mickey, thinking I was gay. The resulting hematoma was over six inches long and it was debated that I should go to the hospital. The main problem was that I could also not see my own leg because I was still blind.
The story continues even beyond my crippling. The morning after, I attempted to shave and without my friend’s glasses and being unable to see, cut the top of my lip open with the razor.
Then going down to breakfast I poured orange juice into the open cut which made me drop the juice onto my plate of eggs and ketchup (yeah i’m one of those people) which made the plate flip over and dump ketchup on myself making me have to go change my clothes.
Sometimes when it rains, it pours.
