The first time I chipped my tooth I was in the second grade, at least I think I was. For 1st and 2nd grade I had the same teacher. So two years of my life are blended together. Anyways, I have had many accidents since then that have caused me to chip my 2 front teeth. Some of the ways I have chipped my teeth include: falling while ice skating, one-on-one basketball with my big brother, eating a piece of toast, grinding my teeth when I was sleeping, elbow to the face when playing basketball, dodge ball to the face, and baseball to the face just to name a few. Each time I chipped one of my teeth I often thought, "Why don't other people chip their teeth as often as me?" I am still searching for that answer.
Most of my teeth injuries are related to sports (even the grinding of my teeth was probably the result of having a sports related dream). I did chip my tooth on toast. That may not sound sports related but it was right after a long basketball tournament where I am sure it was loosened up by someone else. It happened to be the week before Junior Prom. Although most people who sustain the same recurring injury discontinue the behavior that is causing the injury in the first place, I simply do not follow that frame of thinking.
October 14, 2011 (click to see the picture) I was in the emergency room dealing with one of the many cuts I have received while playing basketball. Since then, my face has never looked the same. The scar is a constant reminder to me each time I look in the mirror. I think to myself, "Don't play down to the level of your competition, always play above it." During the game where I got my latest gash, I took a couple of plays off and BOOM!!! an elbow to the face left me with 6 stitches above my lip 2 days before my wedding.
Obviously I have issues with falling or being hit in the face. The connection of chipping my teeth and having minor catastrophes before important life events must mean I am a clumsy-in-your-face kinda person. Regardless if I get injured through adversity or sports, I'm going to keep doing what I love.
Thinking back to each time I was hit in the face I have realized that attacking life head on is not the same as attacking it face on. Maybe I should use some caution or just protect myself better. Whatever I do I have to to remember that if life or sports gives me bumps and bruises, they will heal themselves. If life or sports lead to stitches, broken bones and chipped teeth, they can get taken care of by a doctor.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Blame
"Never take the blame. Your wife will always be ready to assign the blame whether you ask for it or not." That was the advise that I received from a trusted adviser. With many years of experience being married, that was some advise that he thought was worth while for me to know.
It is too easy to blame someone else for doing something wrong, bringing up their faults or anything else to bring them down. Another thing that is extremely hard to do is to erase "no" from your vocabulary. Erasing the word "no" or any other variation of the word (don't, won't, can't or not) is even harder than you may think. Over the past couple of months I have been trying to get rid of the word. Instead of saying," I don't want to eat soup for lunch," I would say, "I'd rather have something else to eat for lunch."
Changing your statements the way I did in that example may seem very easy but try undoing 20 years of no's! As I have learned from being around small infants (months old) to 4 year old children for most of my life, "no" is in the top 5 vocabulary words that children learn. It usually only topped by "da da" and "ma ma" who are usually saying no to them.
Without blaming parents or any other figures who taught me of the importance of the word "no," I have realized that was their own way of expressing what they would rather have me do. For the next couple of weeks, try to eliminate that word "no" including all of its variations and try to stop blaming others directly. How do you think people will react to you? My guess is that people will notice a change and be more apt to requests.
It is too easy to blame someone else for doing something wrong, bringing up their faults or anything else to bring them down. Another thing that is extremely hard to do is to erase "no" from your vocabulary. Erasing the word "no" or any other variation of the word (don't, won't, can't or not) is even harder than you may think. Over the past couple of months I have been trying to get rid of the word. Instead of saying," I don't want to eat soup for lunch," I would say, "I'd rather have something else to eat for lunch."
Changing your statements the way I did in that example may seem very easy but try undoing 20 years of no's! As I have learned from being around small infants (months old) to 4 year old children for most of my life, "no" is in the top 5 vocabulary words that children learn. It usually only topped by "da da" and "ma ma" who are usually saying no to them.
Without blaming parents or any other figures who taught me of the importance of the word "no," I have realized that was their own way of expressing what they would rather have me do. For the next couple of weeks, try to eliminate that word "no" including all of its variations and try to stop blaming others directly. How do you think people will react to you? My guess is that people will notice a change and be more apt to requests.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Objects in Motion
Being from New England, I have experienced more than one spin out when driving in the winter. All it takes is too much gas or speed on a slippery surface and before you know it you begin fish tailing. Now that I think of it, I did this in the fall when I was driving to my wedding rehearsal dinner.
Have you ever felt like you were running in a wheel that wasn't moving? Or have you ever felt like your wheels were spinning but all you were doing was going side to side? Nonetheless, the feeling of going side to side instead of forward is uncomfortable and unwanted. Sometimes I get that same feeling. It is important to remember that attempting to move forward is sometimes all you can do.
Have you ever felt like you were running in a wheel that wasn't moving? Or have you ever felt like your wheels were spinning but all you were doing was going side to side? Nonetheless, the feeling of going side to side instead of forward is uncomfortable and unwanted. Sometimes I get that same feeling. It is important to remember that attempting to move forward is sometimes all you can do.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Check out my Blog
Check out my blog. Click the link or copy and paste to see the new posts that are out in cyberspace.Feel free to make comments or pass the blog to friends and family.
http://brentwood-zero.blogspot.com/
http://brentwood-zero.blogspot.com/
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