Focus on Your Toes

Focus on Your Toes

I’m an extremist.  It’s in my blood.   If you call it a “disease” and I will say, “hold still, let me cough on you, BECAUSE IT IS SO FUN LIVING THIS WAY”.  Now, if mentally stable is more your style, that’s good, too.  We need both people in life.  Being an extremist let me tell you about the best Valentine’s Day ever. 

12:30 am

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My friend showed up ready to feed my adrenaline.  I know I could have easily gone to bed, but when I get an idea—I have to do it. It’s a symptom of Extreme Personality. And this idea happened to come to me at 12 in the morning. With my red one-piece swimsuit on, earrings out, and heart pumping, I got in his truck ready to make a memory. Now, I’m not a fan of illegal substances (despite the nose ring and thrift shop clothing) or intense partying (with the exception of birthdays, bar mitzvahs, weddings, funerals, and Wednesdays) wait, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah. So I try to be responsible with my body, but I’m an adrenaline junky, and I have to satisfy my cravings. So, we went to the lake.  We jumped in, and whale-flopped out.   We couldn’t feel our bodies, and we didn’t care.  Looking back, this was a good thing.  We took off running.  Not like, a little stride here and there, I’m talking full out- open field nothing in the way, run faster and fart harder- running.

Straight. Into. A. Metal. Pole.

1:00 am

“Chloe, get up! Let’s go!” “Ugh… help. Hahaha” “Wait, are you okay?” “I think my nose is bleeding”

1:03 am

*In the car*

“Holy crap. Chloe, don’t look. You’re not allowed to look at your face”

“What? Hahahaha why!!! Let me see, I’m sure it’s fine”

 “I’m taking you to the E.R.”

“Hahahaha I’m sure I’m fine! We’ll just put some butterfly Band-Aids on it.”

“How do you feel right now?”

With blood coming down my head, I said, “my toes hurt”

“Haha okay Chloe, just focus on your toes”

1:10 am

 I called my mom and got some advice.  I think the best advice was, “Chloe, I know your personality, but the nurses don’t.  You will have to clarify you have not been drinking and that you are always laughing.  They will be concerned of blood thinning.”  So we went to the E.R.  And it was a blast! They asked me how much I was hurting, I laughed, “My toe really hurts!”  The P.A said, “Okay, just focus on those toes”.  The nurse, P.A, and doctor were amazing! The nurse with three kids and glitter all over her face from wearing a wreath on her head, was like an older sister encouraging and laughing with me along the way! Epically when I told them to pluck my eyebrows while they were up there.  They didn’t.  I forgave them. The P.A was O.C.D and gave me 14 stiches on the 14^th day of the month (he never denied the accusation that he did it on purpose).  The doctor was the most socially awkward guy I have ever met.  Asking me, “What have you been drinking?”  “Nothing, Sr.”  “Why are you laughing so much? Is this normal, or caused by the injury” Thank goodness my friend was there to back me up. “No, sir. I’m high on Jesus Christ! I guess it’s funny how things like this work out.  Great memories, right!?”  Tired from seeing what he referred to as, “stupid freshmen getting hurt”, he didn’t laugh.  But I did.  The P.A said, “I misjudged you two a lot.  One-piece swimsuit and no alcohol. I guess I supposed drinking and naked at 12 am on the weekend.” And that was the best compliment ever. 

God’s shown me so much with these stiches. 

1.     After getting over a cold sore, a bad acne breakout, and a minor cut on my face, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then this happened.  And again, I have been reminded that beauty is the heart, and I am His.

2.     Serving the homeless in Oklahoma City, I was overwhelmed with how selfish I am. They were more concerned with my head than their living condition.  How the culture tells us we are “allowed” to be self-consumed when something interferes with our normal appearance.  When in reality, we are called to be more than our image. 

3.     You don’t have to be drunk and naked to do something really stupid.

4.     You need really good friends that will take you to the E.R., laugh at you, encourage you, poke your stitches, look at your eyes when you talk, eat too much with you, pull pranks with, and argue until you’re laughing.

5.     With fourteen stitches on your forehead, you can’t go up to kids in Subway and say “Hi, little girl! I love your dress”

I was able to laugh the entire morning of and days after.  I told my friend (as I am holding my towel drenched in blood) on our way to the E.R., “If I could do it again, I would”.

I believe God has been showing me life isn’t about living perfectly; it’s about living honestly.