Forefingers and Scars

Nancy had to get stiches in her finger after a pruning mishap yesterday, which stirred up a couple of memories.

You'll remember the admonishment about using scissors, or running with a pair of them, and you'll know that the scissors made for school kids use are made blunt. Also parents are very cautious about buying pocket knives for the boys, but I got around that buy sneaking out Mom's big butcher knife to carve wood.

Once in grade school we had a 'run' on making an airplane--mine was the best no doubt--but I used Bob Roseburgs small pen knife--it was razor sharp. I slipped and cut my finger (nearly off) but there was no school nurse and I don't remember how I bandaged it. There was no way or nowhere to go. I have a permanent scar and also I cut some of the tendons. Now and then if I hit the finger over that scar my finger will tingle and go dead momentarily.

For some reason that forefinger gets the most abuse. Here's another story, ready? Once when we had a lot of rabbits in the barn, I witnessed two buck rabbits fighting to the death. I wanted to help stop it and played no favors to which one I wanted to win--no doubt it was one of those natural bouts for superiority in the bunch of females. So I grabbed one rabbit by a hind leg which gave the other aggressor an advantage for a split second. He jumped up and bit my forefinger--I mean with his rabbit teeth--they are rodents you know and have really sharp front teeth. He sunk the teeth clear through the finger and wouldn't let go. I whipped him till he opened his jaws and dropped off. I have that scar too on that same finger. It is amazing that we had no particular medication for bites and scrapes and cuts. Today it seems that there are more diseases that threaten us.

That scar was cut off once again by my own negligence. I was carving wood and slipped. The new cut didn't obliterate the old rabbit bite but lessened it. I still have that souvenir.