Pain

Pain is my friend. It clairifies the mind and purifies the soul. Now, the corrolary is I don't necessarily have to like my friends.

Me, circa 1994

I was stripping wires on Friday when I got distracted. Now, I suppose I should say a little about the method I was using. Specifically, I was dipping thin little copper wires in a beaker with 20 ml or 16 molar sulfuric acid, and I allowed myself to get distracted. So, the beaker tumbled off the bench, and the acid splashed down my right leg, despite my quick jump backward to avoid the tumbling chemical disaster.

And the pain hit. Oh, the pain. I got shocky almost immediately. In my pain induced stupor, the only treatment option that offered itself was putting a base on it, so I did that. Now, I failed to remember two crucial facts:

  1. Acid-Base reactions are exothermic.
  2. Proper first aid for almost all acids is to jump in a douse shower.
And so, I ended up eventually at the burn clinic at the Hillcrest Medical center with a second degree burn down my leg. This has put an incredible cramp on my style.

I'm now off of the mat for Aikidofor at least the next few weeks, and the first day I missed was Alan's birthday, complete with the endless series of throws. I went anyway, since he's a friend, and I wanted to help him have a happy 21st birthday. For that matter, I still go to the classes, since watching is another method of learning. I can still do weapons class, but I really miss the matwork.

I was page-turning for the Oberoun Trio on Sunday, for their first public performance. That meant wearing pants over the injury. That really hurt, too. The music was good, and I don't think I missed a cue, but that was a fairly painful hour and a half.

To top it all off, at the followup appointment on Tuesday, I found out that it was infected. So now I have to be extra careful. Sigh.

Brian Naberhuis