Today I found myself tracing back my scars, recalling the events that left a lasting imprint on my skin, sticking out like a road sign pointing me back to my childhood.
Those of us who grew up with siblings understand the kind of flesh wounds that can be inflicted from the summers of our youth. Each scar carries with it a memory, some memories are painful while others bring back the laughter. Most important are the learned lessons from each scar that I dragged with me into my adult life.
"The most valuable scars I carry are the ones left behind by the errors of my siblings. They will remain for me the most precious of them all." Ray Basile
Like the one in my palm that says, "Your hand will not stop the glass pane of a screen door coming at you with the force of an angry sibling behind it!"
Posted by: Sindy | May 06, 2007 at 09:48 PM
Fascinating, until I read your post, I had never stopped to contemplate my scars. So I did ...
All my childhood scars result from crash and burn or adventure.
All the scars from my 20s-30s result from lack of sleep or not paying as much attention as I should have in that split second before injury.
All the scars from 40s result from someone in the medical profession telling me they need to create a scar in order to save my life.
Not that I have THAT many scars in total, but I realized in tracing them back they all fit into distinctive timeline themes. I am sure it means something, I just don't know what. Dalene
Posted by: Dalene | May 07, 2007 at 12:20 AM
Dalene,
What an amazing timeline you have to trace back. It's not really the quantity of scars but rather the story behind each one. Those stories like the scars are yours alone, making them priceless.
Thanks for dropping that in. Brilliant!
Posted by: mr. besilly | May 07, 2007 at 07:26 AM
I take it you have brothers ?..lol :)
Posted by: Angel | May 07, 2007 at 04:23 PM
Northern Lights
Sunday night and it's half past nine
I'm leaving one more town behind.
Mirrors are showing the day's last glow
as we're spit out into the jigsaw flow.
Ahead where there should be the thickness of night
stars are pinned on a shimmering curtain of light.
Sky full of rippling cliffs and chasms
that shine like signs on the road to heaven...
* * *
I've been cut by the beauty of jagged mountains
and cut by the love that flows like a fountain from God.
So I carry these scars, precious and rare,
and tonight I feel like I'm made of air...
Bruce Cockburn
Posted by: eddie | May 10, 2007 at 08:29 PM
I used to ask my students to write scar stories to introduce themselves to me for the year. Although it was interesting, the fascination of blood and gore by my adolescent learners was a bit much. Actually hilarious.
Yes, and I agree that they're road maps. Funny how that works, huh?
Posted by: kellypea | May 14, 2007 at 11:26 PM