Skip to main content

Takes a Lickin'

I want to tell you a story, but I am going to show you the result first.

You can see on my largely shorn and large cranium in the picture toward the back left is an indentation.

That little dark line that's about an inch long.

The story is from a late 70's winter in Northwestern Pennsylvania where I spent my grade school years.

One winter, as the kids in the neighborhood did, I went out to play across the field to play next door in the snow.

It was typically cold and snowy as you would expect. Like feet deep. Not the wimpy precipitation of eastern North Carolina (which is exactly why I live here and not there).

My mother bundled me like that little kid in "A Christmas Story." I had the snowsuit on. Multiple layers of socks. Gloves, a toboggan.
I began to step out into the cold from our back porch where there was an old screen storm door. As I opened the door and stepped out, a GIGANTIC icicle came down and landed smack on my head.

Now I was pulled into the house as I cried the tears of a child who had been almost brained.

My mother rubbed my head, asked if I still felt okay to go outside and sent me on my way (she might have given me childrens' Tylenol, I don't remember).

I trudged through the snowy field between our houses and went into the house of our next door neighbor. My friend's mother helped my take off the top of my snow suit and then my heavy toboggan.

There was blood running down the sides of my head. She quickly discovered the wound at the top of my head that you can now see the scar of.

My mother took me to my pediatrician. It seemed I remember them much better as a doctor then we remember our own kids' physicians largely because it was easier to access and also because I required so much more attention as a kid then my kids ever did.

I recall hearing: "He might have died if you hadn't put on the hat and snow suit."  I was saved by a thick toboggan.

Any way, to this day, I could always feel this reminder etched into my head even through an unshorn head of hair, but especially now that I keep a tight chrome-like look to my noggin.

I also remember an old saying: "Take a lickin' and keeps on tickin'." Old people like me will know which company that refers to.

Always be a little extra safe... you know instead of sorry.

Popular posts from this blog

Slow Death or Rebirth for Myspace?

  Are we really watching the slow inevitable death of Myspace? With the integration with Facebook complete and  the push towards what appears to be a mobile only function , isn't it time to call this one? One report says that Myspace is making $200 million less this year. They are functionally giving up on Myspace Music , which was always their bread and butter. Without the music tie in, why would people BOTHER with Myspace? I'm talking about it because my wife's band has used every medium known to mankind to promote themselves online and Myspace has been nothing but dead weight from the very beginning. Only bands and their most ardent fans go there. The rest are on Facebook.  There is talk of selling Myspace, but who in their right mind would consider it? This will have some interesting implications for bands down the road. Many use Myspace as their de facto website, just pushing their domain name onto the customizable site. Now apparently, Reverbnation , a North Carolin

Being a Parent

While back, I wrote a post on Father's day about being a father and how being a parent is a job. I wistfully look back as I look forward to another school year quickly approaching and the evidence of my "work" is becoming less and less my handiwork. Our youngest has just moved on to middle school. Josh has moved into high school and the oldest has graduated from high school and about "start" her life. We've had a tacit arrangement with the kids. We do NOT want boomerang kids coming back to haunt us. So they have always been told, they are staying with us until they are REALLY ready to go out and that includes the joke that college has become. Sadly, despite the fact that I have spent a good chunk of my career working in higher education, I know that it is a folly to think that sending a child off to college is preparing them for much other than to have a lifetime of loans. Thankfully, Amanda has gotten the message. She has a plan to go to local c

Check out my appearance on the The Toddcast Podcast

Click and watch the podcast recording of my appearance on the Toddcast Podcast  Such a fun time!