This Day in History: The Dog Eats My Toe!
On this date 30 years ago – May 13, 1985, I came home from a softball practice just as dusk was settling in. The grass was just starting to get a little moisture on it, but I decided it was a great time to quickly mow the grass. Yes, in those days I was full of energy, much like my dreams are today! 😉 It was just a little area, but there was a knoll along the driveway. I could reach the mower down and pull it back up the slope. Bad practice, I know. So, I sat my two young sons, Jesse & Adam, across the driveway from me so that they were safe & could watch as I revved up the old mower. All was going along splashingly until – until as I pulled the mower back up, my foot slipped on the wet grass, I fell on my rear, and the mower – safety shut-off deftly disabled [more bad form, I know] – landed on “my left foot” [an excellent Daniel Day-Lewis movie, BTW]. There was no pain, just a numbing shock-like feeling. I watched, helplessly, as the mower rolled down the knoll and into the driveway where it came to a halt before trimming my sons. Getting to my feet, or foot, actually, I looked down and all I could see was a bloody mess. Half my running shoe was ripped off, the front half, and laying in the grass [nicely mowed, at least]. Could only assume that the front half of my foot was out there, as well. Hopped on my right leg into the house for assistance. I think Elaine called a neighbor to come over and take me to the ER. I was beginning to feel some pain. Cleaned it up a bit and found out I was very lucky. Top of my left big toe was gone, along with the tip, including some bone, but that was it. Wrapped it up and when my neighbor, Michael, arrived, plopped in the back seat, foot raised up and hanging out the window. It was really starting to throb by now. As I sat there awaiting the trip down the mountain to the hospital, I was looking out the window. My dog was playing with something … as a dog or cat does when they catch a mouse, or something. You know, kind of tossing it up and catching it a few times. And then … GULP! Hmmmmm …. I had just witnessed the eating of part of my body by another creature. Now, THAT was weird and something you don’t experience every day. After a lengthy ER wait, they finally fixed it up – scraped the bone fragments out and then just folded what was left over the top to form sort of a half of a big toe. To this day, if I touch the top of my toe, it feels like I am touching the bottom! Anyway, I thought of this the other day when I had to chase my dog down the road. Once, I was a very fast runner, but missing a toe, or even a good part of one, especially the big toe, causes a balance issue and I definitely could never run again like I used to … until the other day. Have I told this story before? 🙂
Richard's Meanderings 