Achilles Heel

I don’t think of myself as the hysterical type.  I can take needles, dentists, puke, blood… maybe not with enthusiasm but at least with a modicum of stoicism.  Yesterday however I found my achilles heel.  Was making carbonara (mmmm!) and managed to grate my knuckle.  I’ve grated my hand before, I’ve always got loads of nicks and cuts on my hands.  But what I did with the grater was more akin to scalping my knuckle. A circle of skin from the top of my knuckle is gone – and the flesh beneath revealed. Really gross – it looks like I could just take the skin around the knuckle and peel my finger right out – like popping an ipod out of those silicone skins.  

It’s my reaction that I find really funny.  I’m actually quite upset about it – like wanting to cry upset – which in turn makes me giggle at how completely ridiculous the reaction is.  I can’t look at the wound, cause it is truly gross, but when I do not only do I feel upset, I am also slightly afraid.  Maybe this reaction is  hardwired  – like a prehistoric reaction?  Sort of like those people who raise their arms when they are frightened.  Am so happy I was never inclined to be a nurse/EMT/doctor/fireman etc.  I would have been utter rubbish at it.  I’d be either passed out on the floor or hysterically sobbing somewhere.  Note to self must never go see that Bodies show (where they peel back the skin from corpses and then pose them riding a bicycle or hanging out with their buds).