Tetanus Sh-aaarrrgggghhhhh!

Sometimes we take things for granted, and we don’t know what we have until they're gone. Take for example, the use of my shoulder.

Recently, I got a tetanus booster shot. At the time, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal, because I didn’t remember it being that bad the last time I’d gotten one. What I failed to recall, unfortunately, was that I was a teenager back then, young and robust, and at a point of my life where I could spend an entire day running into a concrete wall at full speed and suffer no adverse affects. (Not that I spent my time running into walls. At least not that I’ll readily admit.)

So, overwhelmed with male bravado, I decided to get the shot. When the time came, in true macho fashion, I whimpered courageously and stared fearlessly at the wall opposite of where the action was occurring. (Hey, it’s a needle, and it’s going RIGHT INTO YOU!!) The shot itself barely hurt, and when it was over, I wiped my eyes free of the accumulated tears of valor and commenced to celebrate my victory, assuming that the worst was over.

Then, shortly after, my shoulder stopped working. I couldn’t put on my seatbelt without whimpering. I couldn’t raise my arm above my waist without a sustained string of grunting. I couldn’t reach my phone at work. (That one was actually a good thing.) Talk about a wake up call! In fact, because of it, I’ve made a solemn vow to take a moment each and every day to truly appreciate my shoulders. (This will explain if you ever see me kissing them affectionately.)

Anyway, this whole episode brought with it a startling realization: Perhaps I’m not as resilient as I once was. Perhaps my body doesn’t bounce back as quickly as years past. Perhaps the hands of time are beginning to chip away at the very foundation of my strength and health. Still, I’m a much wiser person now, and I’ll take that over being young and dumb any day of the week. Just don't tell that to my aching shoulder. I’m having trouble getting back on its good side as it is.