March 10, 2008

Today is Memory Monday - Kecia at Lemoncholys. The topic this week is Childhood incident, injury, accident.

Stitches, Stitches, and more stitches.

I had just turned seven years old. It was a nice July day, 1980, in the town of Riverside, IA. Great day for the Rivercade parade. My older sister and I were with our grandparents getting ready to ride the horses in the parade. I was standing on the side of the horse trailer watching them unload the horses. We already had one horse out and tied to the trailer. The side I was standing on. Something must have spooked the horse and it reared its head back and raised its front hooves. The reins on the bridal came loose and snapped me in the side of my left knee. The men worked on calming the horse and my grandma came to my aid. Putting pressure on the wound. I hear her saying we need to get you to the hospital. I was crying “no I want to ride in the parade”. She compromised and my grandpa carried me to the parade route, while I held the bloody towel on my wound. It was my grandma and sister that got to ride in the parade that day. My grandpa stayed on the side lines with me making sure my leg stayed elevated. While we watched the bands, floats, shriners and horses ride by. After the parade my grandma and her friend took me to the hospital. I had to get a couple of stitches.

Lesson learned. Don’t stand too close to a person who is up to bat.
I was nine years old and my sister and I were out in the back yard playing baseball with our cousins who lived down the street. I was on deck to bat. Standing in what they told me was a good spot to stand and wait my turn. My cousin Paul was up to bat, he was 14 years old at the time. He let a few go by him. Swung on one and missed. Next one came across the plate and made contact. He swung through the ball and let go of the bat. Well I got hit in the forehead with the barrel of the bat. Fell to the ground. My sister, she is four years older than me, came over and picked me up and took me in the house. Yelling mom, mom Melissa’s bleeding. Off to the emergency room we went. The doctors laded me on a gurney. I remember the doctors saying we are going to have to take out her pig tails. Had to get nine stitches that time.

It is a Merrill thing. All my three siblings have had stitches during their childhood.

No comments: