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12/13/2002 Entry: "Friday the 13th ::gasp::"
I must admit that I have Paraskevidekatriaphobia. There's no pill, shot, ointment, balm, salve or tincture that is known to cure Paraskevidekatriaphobia.
So, what the heck is Paraskevidekatriaphobia anyway? Well, it's a biiiig long word that simply means that I have a fear of Friday the 13th.
Now why would a strapping hulk of a man, such as me, suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia? Well, I do have a pretty good reason. Please read on - if you DARE bwaaahaaahaaaa... Ok - so it's NOT scary but interesting none the less.
A few years before High School and while in High School I was a springboard diver and on the High School Swimming and Diving Team. I also dove for a private schools' Dive 'Club' (St. Mark's) and dove exhibition for SMU on their 'club' team. I also participated in demonstration high diving at Six Flags Over Texas. All this up to and whilst a Frosh. in HS.
Well, there was a swim meet on Friday, February 13, 1981 that was at my High School but I was not 'invited to dive' in the meet. Well, unbeknownst to me my private diving coach (not affiliated with the HS) and the swim team coach both urged for me to be pulled from class and dive for the school as I had a better chance of winning than did the other diver (a Senior) from my school. I was pulled from class, suited up... or rather down to my Speedo's, and brought out to dive.
Fast forward to the end of the meet which I won by a large margin (yeah - I'm bragging but really - I was a very good diver). Well, before I left the natatorium there was a guy there with a video camera(quite odd to see one back in 1981 as they were NOT that common then) and he asked me to go back to the 1 meter board and just bounce on the board for him. Uh, sure. So I started bouncing, and bouncing, and bouncing. He was asking me to bounce higher and higher which I did.
That's when it happened. Something off to the right caught my attention and I turned my head ever so slightly to see what it was. Well, for those of you who didn't know - while in air any head movement causes your body to 'drift' in the direction that you are looking. Thanks to physics - what goes UP must come DOWN and that, I did.... missing the board with my right foot and crashed down onto the board with my left resulting in a compound spiral fracture (multiple breaks on both my Tibia and Fibula).
Ouch is an understatement.
I was whisked off to the hospital in a sporty ambulance, had a cast slapped on my and was made to stay in the hospital for about 8 days or so. Oh, what fun... especially when they would WAKE ME UP TO GIVE ME A SLEEPING PILL!!! But I digress...
Well, a week or so later I was home and had to visit the orthopedic surgeon once a week, on Fridays, for X-rays, etc. No biggie... I would just haul my fully plaster cast-encased leg out of bed, down the stairs at my folk’s home and plop into the back seat of the Buick Electra and head out to my doctor visits.
Well, wouldn't you know it but there was a little surprise hiding around the next corner.... March 13, 1981 was a Friday and I had to go to the doctor again for my weekly visit.
Whilst coming down the stairs on March 13, I misplaced my crutch on the stair and, as luck would have it, tumbled down the remaining 4 or 5 steps landing in a heap on the floor. Ouch again. With the help of my Mom I got up off of the floor, piled into the Electra and went to see the doctor as scheduled.
"Congratulations" he said "you have re-broken your leg!"
"So - what did I win?" I asked not really wanting to hear the answer.
"We're gonna cut 'cha tomorrow and put in a few screws and a plate or two." he replied.
Lovely.
Well, as luck (or lack there-of) would have it my compound fracture had gotten infected so surgery was not a safe option but that wasn't really known until I was knocked-out on the surgical table with my leg prepped for the surgery that didn't happen.
After close to 18 month in casts and rehab I was back out on the street - all of this due to a little incident on Friday the 13th.
So I suppose that gives me a little bit of a reason to be a Paraskevidekatriaphobic - don'tcha think?
Please stay safe and have a wonderful weekend!
--Stephen