Heres the definition of scar according to wikepedia.com: A scar results from the biologic process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in some form of scarring. Scars obtained in childhood are, well, usually kinda funny. When someone asks how I got the three deep gashes on my right calf, I usually chuckle, shake my head and say, I was a really, REALLY dumb kid Then, I tell a tale where the three main characters are a four-wheeler, a barbed wire fence and a certain 15-year-old who bears a striking resemblance to yours truly. When I was standing in the fence line with a bloody leg that looked like itd just gone through a meat processor, do you think I was laughing? Nope! And when the doc shoved a syringe full of anti-tetanus medication into my arm, did I have a big grin plastered on my mug? Again, no. So, why was I beaming a week later when showing off my bandages to my classmates? Time. As time passed the physical pain eased and I had proof of just how tough a kid I was. And now? Now I look at those scars with fondness. They remind me of my throw-caution-to-the-wind childhood, of the fact I lived through a horrifying, if rather stupid accident, and now have a fun story to tell! Physical injuries and the scars that accompany them obtained in adulthood are usually not so funny - or welcome. Perhaps the most disfiguring scars of all are the ones that cant be seen; the emotional wounds we carry inside. Often, those scars are caused by loss, bigotry, hatred, abuse, or failure. And we all have em, some people just hide their blemishes and pretend their life is unmarred. Why? Unless youve lived your life in a bubble and wearing a Kevlar vest, were all going to get hurt. Physically, emotionally, socially, whatever, being hurt and recovering is part of life. It all comes down to how we view our scars. A fresh wound is not a scar. The very nature of a scar means, something has happened and healed. Something terrible was survived. If we can look at ourselves and embrace all we have been through to become who we are we might begin to view scars as: lessons learned, places been victories won. For years, I hated, HATED the five-inch mark across my chin that showed up the same night I lost my sight. Now? I kinda like it. How can I like something that doesnt fit with the American ideal of beauty? Again, its all in how we think of it. If we twist our thinking, we see these imperfections not as failures, but as signs of being tried, tested and proven. With the proper attitude and time to adjust, we can eventually accept and ultimately love the trials that put those physical blemishes on our bodies and souls. |
