Cut Down

Essay by tony1991991College, UndergraduateA+, November 2008

download word file, 3 pages 4.3

Downloaded 1169 times

The pain I felt knocked me to the hard surface beneath me. I entered into a state of disorientation and confusion due partly to the lack of blood and the over load of testosterone that was released into my system. Holding on for dear life to consciousness, I looked at my shaking hand. The blood ran rapid and red. I tried to hold pressure on the warm, tingly area on my hand but the loss of blood had made me weak. I couldn’t move. My eyes faced the sky as my head rolled back into serenity. I awoke in the hospital.

The day had begun as well as I could have hoped. I woke to the ear-piercing sound of my alarm clock. I rolled off my bed to make it reachable and clicked the snooze button located on the top. I woke up five minutes later to the same sound that had ruined my peaceful REM sleep earlier that morning.

I picked my young, tired body off of the floor and walked to the kitchen to have my usual breakfast.

I poured the delicious Fruity Pebbles into the glass bowl, pouring milk over the sugar crystallized pebbles I heard them expand with a soft popping. Oh was it delicious, I can still remember the sugary goodness being consumed by my half-awake state. Coming to the end of the pebbles, I gently tipped the bowl vertically pressed against my face to wash it all down with the remaining milk and walked back to my room to get ready for work.

I was the young age of 13 at this time already working 15-16 hours a day, three days in a row at The Gorge Amphitheatre. This was the final day of the three day concert and I was in cruise control. I could hardly keep my eyes open let alone concentrate on my job. My mother dropped me off at the landing preceding the concession stands. The desolate theater was scattered with three or four employees preparing for the concert to come. The sun was setting on the desolate mountains, shimmering off every tiny ripple that flowed on the massive Columbia. An aura of perfection spread across the grounds. I entered the booth I was to work at that night. I was greeted by warm smiles and hellos.

The night went on well enough, slowly at first then speeding up as the concert goers became more intoxicated. I was cutting a large cardboard box in an attempt to attain a small piece of cardboard that could be used in place of a dustpan. As I placed the jagged knife against the smooth unblemished surface someone ran behind me, kicking my leg accidentally causing me to fall forward, pushing the knife through my thumb. I first felt intense shooting pain through my body as the blood rushed. Minutes later cold numbness swelled into my arm as I plundered to the ground.

When I woke in the bright hospital room I wondered what had happened. I asked my mother. She told me that I had had an accident. Scared to death that I couldn’t walk I rolled to the left as hard as I could. I landed hard on the cold floor. My mom’s sweet voice echoed in my ear, “Get off the floor Silly.” It turned out that I had cut the arteries, tendons, and a piece of my bone in my thumb. My legs intact, I got stitched up and went home. I don’t know how lucky I am to live in this world. This incident taught me never let an accident cause you worry if the outcome is inevitable. Just be glad that it wasn’t worse and move your eyes to the horizon in thanks that you’re still alive.