The first 18 years and 9 months of my life were full of twists and turns, that’s for sure. However, I had always felt as though I was missing out on one thing. Many of my friends over the years have worn trendy casts on their various body parts. These accessories came in all sorts of colors and were almost always accompanied by a marker for jealous, non-cast-having people like me to sign their names and write inspirational messages like “get well soon.” The people sporting casts were instantly given the spotlight at any moment.
I concluded that only one thing was depriving me of this spotlight: a broken bone.
“Sprain,” “fracture,” “tear,” and “break” were all bodily terms I had heard but never endured. Each of these seemed like a rite of passage that I was not yet old, mature, or fragile enough to experience for myself.
As I grew older, I began to lose hope that maybe I too could break a bone one day… until I did.
Let me set the scene: it was June 23rd, my second day out of the eight weeks I would be working at my overnight summer camp as a counsellor. There I was, wearing my signature bright orange, wedged Teva sandals; it was just another day in the life. I was preparing to run an evening activity at that night’s campfire when I suddenly realized that I had left my script for the activity in my bunk. As a young professional, I knew I needed my materials. I sprinted back to my bunk and grabbed my script. On my sprint back, things took a turn for the worse. I remember thinking, “I am about to hurt myself…lol.” Ah, well, what do you know! I tripped over a tree root and just like that it was all over! Without any notice my foot popped, locked, and dropped. Ouch.
The rest of the summer, I had the privilege of sporting the hottest Aircast on the market. No, the Aircast didn’t come in any pretty colors and no, it could not be signed, but I did recieve all the pity and attention I had ever dreamed of for a grand total of one (1) day! Woohoo! My dreams were coming true, I finally knew what it was like to break a bone! Let me tell you, it’s horrible. I cannot suggest it to anyone, ever. Whatever you do, definitely do not break a bone during the summer because the heat does not get along well with this protective barrier on your body.
When you are younger, breaking a bone might seem to be a popular trend. In reality though, regardless of your age, I can tell you positively that it is the complete opposite.
Main takeaways: wear sneakers, never run, and wrap yourself in bubble wrap every day.
Xoxo,
Yazzy