Scarred.

I don't know anyone who doesn't have a scar. (With the exception of newborn babies and Breckin.) Scars are so interesting. Most people hate having scars...some can be pretty gruesome. Then there are some that just look cool...like maybe a cut that separates an eyebrow or something (think Luke Perry). Just about every scar has a story. I don't have any huge scars, but I do have some with good stories behind them.
The first one that comes to mind is my left elbow. When I bend my elbow, it's not too noticeable, but when I straighten it, it looks all gross and wrinkly. Surprisingly, as small as it is, it's the biggest one I have from a day where I could have (and probably should have) died. I guess instead of the word "surprisingly", I should say "thankfully".
It was April 20th, 1992. I had just turned 9 years old six days earlier. I was playing down the street with my best friend (at the time), Shilah. Down the street from our house was an irrigation canal...it was probably only about 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep. On this particular day, the water in it was very low, maybe about a foot deep. We were playing in it (looking back, probably not the smartest thing), jumping back and forth over it. Well, I ended up stumbling and falling on my a** right in the water. So I was soaked from the waist down. I asked Shilah if I could borrow her bike to ride to my house just down the street to change my clothes. Wait, why didn't I have my bike you ask? Get ready for some irony. I was grounded from my bike that week because my mom had caught me riding without a helmet. OK, here comes the irony...
I quickly scanned the street, and I think I only looked one way. Pulled out into the street and the last thing I remember is looking down at my right foot and literally seeing a bumper a couple inches from it. BLACKOUT.
Oh yes, the irony here is, I was riding a bike without a helmet (didn't have mine since I was grounded from my bike!) and I got hit by a car.
The reason I say I should have died is because this particular car was a Suburban going 35mph. But me, I ended up with some scrapes (including a big one on my left elbow) and bruises. Not one broken bone...unless you count my chipped bottom front tooth.
Oh, the crappy part...I get hit by a car, and my friend Shilah gets a new mountain bike from the woman that hit me. I got some flowers and a teddy bear. If only I had been riding MY bike. Her bike wasn't even a mountain bike - it was a cheesy girls' bike. Oh well, I guess I'm alive. I'll be thankful for that.