You know how everyone remembers where they were on 9/11? Or when you first heard the news of Princess Di's death? Well I also remember distinctly the very moment when, out of boredom at work, I checked the news.com.au website and saw the first report of Steve Irwin's death! Now this was big news... he was a national hero/terror and everyone had something to say about it. Greg was a big fan of Steve's so when I heard the news, I called to break it to him. We still can't talk about it to this day.
For Christmas the following year, Greg got the Steve Irwin book, written by his wife Terri Irwin. She spoke of her husband as an adventurer, someone who constantly challenged her to step out of her comfort zone. I thought about this book recently because Terri says that she made a conscious choice right at the beginning of her relationship with Steve to always just say yes. By saying yes, she found she would experience the most amazing moments, laughs, excitement and joy! She could have said no, and experience an early night in bed instead but by taking each opportunity offered to her, her life took on a whole new meaning.
This attitude came into play for me a few years ago, when I travelled with Greg and 4 of our closest friends to New Zealand for (almost) 10 days. Now, Greg and I are last minute packers. When we got married, and we were to leave for our 4 week honeymoon on Monday evening, we packed on Monday afternoon. When we go to the coast for the weekend, we pack ten minutes before we leave. Granted since Lucy arrived we have to take a little longer to ensure we haven't forgotten anything for her, but it is still in the same crazy last minute style of pandemonium.
As I was madly packing toiletries 2 hours before we were supposed to leave (driving to Sydney that night and flying out first thing the following day) I realised that we only had shampoo and conditioner in big 1 litre bottles. Clearly I wasn't going to be lugging them across to NZ, so I had a genius thought! Just transfer some into these smaller bottles. First bottle, no worries. Second bottle, a little hard to get the lid off. Hmmmm, what to do! Oh! Here are some scissors, I will simply use them to just lever the lid off and OOOUCH! Aw shit! I stabbed myself right into my pointer finger on my left hand! Crapola!
I quickly wrapped a towel around it and went to find Greg for a little help. I showed him the damage and we assessed it with interest.
G: Oh, what have you done!?
L: Surely it will be okay with a band aid? It's only a tiny cut.
G: Oh, I don't know....Well, I suppose I have done worse at work over the years.
L: It doesn't hurt that bad, I'll maybe just clean it and chuck a band aid on and we can pretend it never happened?
G(skeptically): Well, okay....as long as you can bend it properly it should be fine....
L: OH GOD! I can't bend it! Oh my!!! And what is that little white worm thingy!?! Eeeeeew!
So I instructed Greg strictly to keep packing(!) and promptly drove myself up to the Emergency Room. I was fortunate...no one else was there! So straight in I went. The doctor took a look at my no longer bending finger and announced I would require surgery. 'Oh, well can I have it in 2 weeks? I am going to NZ tomorrow!' No! Apparently it was urgent and needed to be done in the next few days.
So Greg cancelled flights with doctors certificates, and we promised our friends we'd still be there as soon as we could be. And thanks to amazing action at the Canberra Hospital due to the wonderful doctor at QBN Emergency, I was operated on the following day. I felt amazing when I woke up - with some juice and a sandwich, they sent me home with some excellent pain killers and anti-inflammatories. Greg watched me like a hawk, waiting for me to flag, but I didn't. I remained sure that we should drive to Sydney that night and fly the following morning. So he booked the flights, we drive to Sydney, flew out the next morning and met our friends in NZ for our (now) 9 day holiday of a lifetime!
Old Swannie - my cast that always created conversation
And I decided from the beginning that I wouldn't let it ruin my holiday at all. So if people were going out, I was there (not drinking, hardcore painmeds gave me my buzz). The only thing I opted not to do was the bunji jumping that 3 of my friends did. But even when I was tired, and my hand hurt, and I could have easily gone to bed, I partied on with my buddies, danced up a storm at World Bar and just loving life. We all have so many memories from that trip, and the pics are amazing...all with my funny looking 'swanlike' cast featuring. I thought of Terri Irwin, not missing out on anything because she simply said yes. So I did too, and have never regretted it for a second.
As we arrived on our first night, our best friends were delighted to see my amusing cast shape,
and wished they had one too.
I have a wicked scar on my finger now, and even after the surgery and many months of physio...it still doesn't bend. My little tribute to the incorrect use of scissors will be with me forever.
Ciao for now,
LG, Life's Good!
It was funny how we met that bar tender who had done the same thing to his finger remember? And yet he was still trying to get the lid off that spirits bottle with a knife!! :) in zid!! Awesome memories
ReplyDeleteHaha, I had forgotten about him! Couldn't believe he would be so silly after that had happened...our little identical scars! :) And no soy milk for a coffee...Grrrr!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite holidays. xoxox