As in 'ruthless'.
I had the misfortune to have a BCC removed from under my left eye today. If you're gonna get skin cancer, this is the most benign. It's a Basal Cell Carcinoma and just that last word scared the tripe out of me.
You see, I come from the generation of Aussie kids who just about spent every day over Summer down the beach without a hat, without a t-shirt, without sunscreen. We got toasted regularly and looked healthy because of it.
From the age of about sixteen, though, I got sunburned once too often and haven't, deliberately, gone out to sunbathe since. I'm always covered up and if I played sport, out came the factor 15+.
Alas, it's too late. Just over a decade ago, my father - who loved the sun - had the same carcinoma removed from his lower lip. My mother had one removed a couple of years ago.
Today, was my turn. And I can tell you, right at this particular juncture in time, it hurts like a mother. I feel like I've been punched, really hard. I don't know how many stitches were put in, but it felt like a lot. Credit to the doctor though, he explained he would do everything to reduce the scarring, but it would scar. Luckily - he said with a straight face - the cut would be aligned with a wrinkle I already had (so much for moisturising every day with an expensive cream.)
The local he gave me felt like spikes; I didn't watch, oh no, indeedy not! And I'll tell you this for nothing: if that's what it's like to get Botox injections, I'll be happy to wrinkle up as nature intended (all that jab, jab, jab!).
I'm not a vain person. Never have been. The scarring doesn't bother me. And, once I found my happy place and ignored all the tugging, it occured to me that going through this, I can use the experience in my writing.
Not too soon though: I have the Story-a-day-marathon on over at Forward Motion. I'll start tomorrow. I'll feel better then. For now, I'm taking the painkillers; no point in suffering when I don't have to.
2 comments:
"Luckily - he said with a straight face - the cut would be aligned with a wrinkle I already had"
Yeah - we're lucky. So says my son, who said the same thing about a four inch scar across the front of my neck from surgery caused by a hit-an-runner that left me with a nearly-broken neck. Ironically, today , May 1st,there were rallies all over the America, illegal immegrants demanding citizenship. Funny how I'm not symathetic. Maybe it's because the driver of that car was an illegal, also high on whatever, laughing as he drove off. I guess it was funny from his point of view - come into a country illegally, get high and drive without a license or insurance, run a red light and hit someone and drive away laughing - all the same to him. When they caught up with him, he got a lawyer paid for with my tax money, and was given two nights in jail and a $200 fine. A few years later, he was back in jail for another two nights for the same thing. Very funny.
Too many immigrant-related crimes are being committed in the US. It's not about their 'rights', they're illegal, the don't have any rights.
Here in Australia, if you're illegal, in the community and are caught, you're deported; no questions asked. If you commit a crime, you go to jail, do your time and are then deported.
If Americans want 'rights' for illegals, give all of them citizenship rights and deal with the consequences.
Yes, illegals do menial labour, but those hiring them should get over themselves and get Americans in to do the jobs, even parolees or the unemployed. Make the conditions worthwhile and send the illegals back.
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