A year ago, it was a beautiful October Saturday. Teen and I went to the skateboard park early, so we could get there before any boys. [At least where we live, there are very few female skateboarders, and most of them tend to sit on their boards and watch their boyfriends.]
Afterward, I headed out for a run. One edge of the sidewalk had lifted up, and I caught my toe. I have never fallen so hard in my life. I cracked the bridge of nose and had deep scrapes from my forehead to my chin. My front two teeth hit the sidewalk, wavered, and decided to stay put.
I was very lucky the damage was cosmetic. Although it was hard going through the next month with two black eyes, numerous Band-aids, and scabs. People either stared or made a point of looking away.
This photo was taken by Teen two days after the accident. Teen's BFF struck a cinematic pose in the background.
A year later, I have three small scars on the bridge of my nose that you can only see if I raise my eyebrows. And there's still a part of my forehead that is flatter than the rest.
But you would have to be me to see those things.
I still try not to think of the feeling I had when I was falling. But I might give it to a character someday.
