It’s Monday morning, which means I need to go to work soon, and this is what I’m facing.
Ice and cold. (Cue Google Images … )
*
**
***
I chose the last two images from the Google Images Buffet (for “ice and cold”) because of something else I’m looking at, this morning.
My face.
I accidentally scratched my own face at the beginning of the weekend. I still don’t know how I did this. Actually, that’s not really true — I DO know how I did it. It involved getting ready for bed, having a fingernail that was too long, and losing track of the relationship in space and time between my hand and my nose.
I hope I’m not the only one, out here in the blogosphere, who has ever done something like that.
This didn’t really bother me, although the scratch bled a lot (probably because I’m on anti-coagulant meds). I thought it would heal over the weekend, so I would look “presentable” by the time I needed to return to work.
However, when I got up this morning and looked in the mirror …. Eeeeeeek!!! It’s still pretty gnarly looking. I mean, you can really see an obvious wound, on my nose. And I have to get ready for work, where people, most likely, will be looking at my face.
Hmmmmmm.
I have lots of thoughts about this, right now, including:
- We all have wounds.
- Some of them are more obvious than others.
- If we do not have a choice — regarding whether we can hide a wound — we might feel more shame.
- It can be traumatic for people to deal with damage to faces. (I am working with a person, in therapy, who is dealing with this right now.)
I have more thoughts, but you know what? I have to stop this post, so I can figure out what to do with this obvious wound on my face.
Here are my options:
- Try camouflaging it, with make-up.
- Put a band-aid on it, to hide it completely. Although that’s going to disturb people even more, don’t you agree? I’m still freaked out by this band-aid
****
and it was on the BACK of somebody’s head.
3. Another solution, less connected to shame, which I haven’t figured out yet.
Okay! It’s time for me to end this post and get ready for work.
Thanks to Paul j Horton (who painted “Ice Cold Lips”), lorency (for the iced-eye image “Cold as Ice”), people who have accidentally hurt themselves in any way, all those with imperfect faces, and to you — of course!! — for reading today.
- I found this image here.
** I found this image here.
*** I found this image here.
**** From “Pulp Fiction,” in case you didn’t know.
Call in sick and pour yourself a nice glass of mulled wine 😉
Too late, but good suggestion! Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Of course! 🙂
I’ve done so many horrid things to myself it’s actually a tragedy. Like when I slipped and fell under my mother in laws car and bashed my shin so bad it was bruised for a month, or when I was shaving and tore a chunk off my leg (this has happened so many times I’m actually considering NOT shaving again, but I don’t know how thrilled my husband is about that idea haha), or that time I smashed my knee off the wall and gave it a nice open wound.
But I guess it’s a blessing that people have stopped asking me questions about my numerous wounds. 😉
Thanks for helping me feel better today! Your comment was a blessing.
Oh you poor lady,I do so hope you are OK now though. I think everybody has done things like this before. When things like this happen to me,I tend to see it as a sign; To go back to bed. 🙂
The Wine idea (as above) sounds a good one. Though,I personally can’t stand Mulled wine 🙂
Thanks for this caring and kind comment, Adam. So far, nothing awful has happened!
I have nominated you for an award: http://adamsymposium.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/blog-award-thanks-and-my-nominations/ 🙂
Adam! Thank you so much for the award nomination. I am flattered and honored.
🙂
You’re not alone – I’ve done the same! My nails grow fast and are quite strong and hard. I get my nails from my dad, only his are stronger – so strong he tightened screws with them!
I like this re- frame of the situation, Diana, that perhaps this proves that my nails are hard and strong! Thanks for reading and commenting, as always.
i have scratched my face , but in may i scratched my leg on the nightstand & it wouldn’t stop bleeding & now i have a big scar..it barely hurt.
Thanks for this comment, Errin. It definitely helps to hear about other people’s experiences.
Makeup! Benefit’s Erase Paste does miracles for covering up blemishes.
Good to know. Thanks for reading and for the comment!
I had a similar problem when I was on anti-coagulants. Brave it out and tell everyone you’re trying out a new look 🙂
Remember your “Day 346: More Things That Won’t Kill Me,” points 15,16,33,34.
Thanks so much for this encouraging comment! And I will try to remember my own advice.
I hope you decided the band-aid route, Ann. I think that is healthier across the board. Certainly better than mucking it up with make-up, anyway. Also, not to complain, but your entire blog background has changed to wood paneling today, making it hard to read … and reminding me of a cabin in the woods. Thank you.
Thanks for letting me know all of this, Mark. WordPress sure can be glitschy at times, for sure, and I’m glad for the information. (Knowledge is power.) I don’t see that problem — with the wood paneling background — but I will let administrators here know about your experience and see what they say. On my laptop, lots of the photos in my posts look teensy-tiny, but they tell me that’s probably not a problem for most people. Again, thanks for reading and for your helpful thoughts.
I am with Mark in support of the band-aid solution. You might want to keep a small supply of fun band-aids for just this purpose. I had sushi band-aids for a time. Just do a Google image search for “fun adhesive bandages.”
Okay! Great advice, Gene. And what could be better than a sushi band-aid?
Yeah I hate it when people at work look at my face too. Great post. Keep it up
I love this comment. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Had I read this earlier my advice would have been to make up an interesting story about getting the wound. Several years ago I had knee surgery and when I told people how it happened (I got into my bed the wrong way) I kept thinking how much I wished I had an exciting story to tell like doing a bad landing while skydiving or kicking an alligator.
Wishes for a quick healing.
It’s not too late, Eleanor. If anybody asks, I will consider telling them that I head-butted an alligator. Perhaps after skydiving. Thanks for this comment. Always great to see you!
Around twenty years ago, I went to work with a black eye. I was met with disbelieving looks when I explained that I got up during the night to use the bathroom and walked into an open door. Talk about a cliché excuse! I’m surprised none of my co-workers left a pamphlet about spousal abuse on my desk. I should have made up something more believable than the truth.
You were doing the best you could. I go with the truth, whenever possible. Thanks so much for this comment!
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