Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Failure

My next post is going to be about helping yourself, which can be difficult at times.  First, I want to share a story about a time I should have been patient and relied on others. But didn't!

While I worked at Hardee's the chain installed fancy, new slicers for their roast beef.  After we closed that first day, a company rep was supposed to show us how to clean and sharpen it.  Instead she sat out in the lobby talking with a friend.  I got tired of waiting (I had a long walk home ahead of me) and decided I would just do it myself--my grandmother had a slicer in her store, I knew how they worked.  Almost immediately, I made a mistake.

I cut my right index finger--deeply, really deeply. Really, really, deeply.  It HURT!  When a co-worker saw the blood, the guy started laughing.  Since I was gritting my teeth at the pain, his laughter was not the least bit contagious.  Did I mention it hurt???  As a result of that little encounter with a slicer blade, I have a straight line through my fingerprint.  It's no more visible than the rest of my fingerprint, but I know it's there.

So, when you can help yourself, do.  But when it is a non-emergency and you don't really know what you're doing (especially if  it's a machine with moving parts), get help!!! 


After I shared the slicer story with my wife, we had a "Life with Ricademus" moment:

Wife:  Did your parents sue Hardee's for your medical costs?
Me:  No, we could afford the bandaid.

I was mostly joking, but as I've mentioned before, my parents were frugal regarding health care--and they were asleep when I got home.  I really did just wash the wound, apply some mercurochrome and wrap a bandaid around it.  It was a straight, clean wound, so it healed well without stitches. 


PS - All fingerprints are unique, but I think my straight line would make it even easier for the FBI to identify me.  I HAVE to be good.  :) 

15 comments:

  1. YIKES.... I am glad the cut was able to heal on its own but yes I agree..if you need help you should ask for it. Don't wait.

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    1. I used to push the line between independence and foolishness a little too far. I had to re-write my programming to correct that flaw.

      But to be honest, that bug still pops up once in a while. I'm fine after a quick reboot. :)

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  2. Waaaa, I would have probably fainted and die out of blood lost >__< I'm glad it healed so well.

    Sometimes you have to jump over your own shadow and ask for help. I've learned how to do that luckily without having my finger cut XD

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    1. Haha, I had to learn the hard way--several times.

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  3. I'm with you - just wrap it up in gauze and I'm sure it'll heal itself. :) Turns out you do end up getting scars that way and then wishing you went and got stitches instead. Oh well. I have an aversion to doctors and hospitals

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    1. I don't mind scars, but this one is almost impossible to see--you have to look really, really close under a bright light to see the change to my fingerprint. It wasn't worth the pain. :)

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  4. asking for help. not as easy as it sounds, is it. and then there is that little thing called patience. not good together. not at all... :)

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    1. I was raised to to things myself, not wait for others. I've mostly been reprogrammed now. Mostly. :)

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  5. omg yikes, it SUCKS getting a cut esp on your finger, cuz you wash your hands all the time and it freaking stings. Once I got food poisoning from the grocery store i worked in and my dad just laughed. so mean lol.

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    1. Haha, dad's can have weird senses of humor when it comes to stuff like that--as long as our little girls aren't seriously hurt.

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  6. p.s we got healthcare here but honestly not sure how much that helps as we hear stories of people dying from waiting in the emergency room often enough :P

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  7. While reading this post, I was concerned about you being identified from your prints a lot more than the deep and painful cut. Coz well, the latter is already over and done with but the line across your finger would do you in if found by the police.

    I'm glad you didn't requite stitches. I didn't go to the hospital for my cooked hand too (as commented in the post above)

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    1. Ohhh, that burns sounds so painful. I don't know how you kept from yelling out.

      I had to get fingerprinted for work, so now my prints are in a database and I can be found easily....so I'll just keep being good (and buy some rubber gloves). :)

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  8. Whoa! Way to cut to the truth of the matter! And no I don't apologize for the pun. :)

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    1. LOL, puns are always welcome! Sadly, I had to have another accident or two before really committing to putting (my) safety ahead of expediancy.

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