Scars

"I've discovered something" I said.

"See, even as we get older we continue to learn," he replied with a chuckle.

I took my dog, Phil, to the vet yesterday. When the doctor came into the room he was limping.

"Should I ask how you are doing?" I said.

"Oh, it's my knee. They want me to really appreciate the operation I'm about to have so they delayed it another month so I could suffer more," he replied.

It was then for the first time I actually showed my scar to someone.

"Look, I had an operation on my arm."

My wife has been telling me that it really didn't look bad. It was healing very nicely.

When I showed it to him and his assistant they said, "Eeeeeewe! That's awful!"

So much for healing nicely.

That's when I discovered something.

"Doc, when I was a kid and fell I remember showing all my friends because I thought it was "cool." Having a scar at that age was like having a battle injury so you had to share it."

I then pointed to a scar at the hairline on my forehead.

"That's when I got hit with a door!" I said proudly.

"That explains so much, Bob," he said laughing.

"Then I went into young adulthood and vanity took over. I was in a band and never wanted anything to scar this beautiful face of mine," I said struggling to get it out without laughing.

"Now, at 59, I just now joined that group of older folks who are proud to compare operations, aches, pains and how many meds I have to take just to get through the day."

I have overheard older folks trying to out do their friends by claiming their pain is worse or they have had more operations than the other.

The winner is the one who is in worse shape, I guess.

Then there are those at any age, who use physical and emotional scars as an excuse. The kind of excuse that holds them back, limits them, provides a crutch for why they are'nt happy or where they would like to be at this point in life.

"Too tall"..."too short"..."too fat"..."too thin"...
"my parents"..."my family"..."ever since my divorce"..."ever since we had children" and on and on.

All scars that never heal because we keep picking at them.

I swore I would never do that, yet, today I didn't even hesitate to show Doc my scar.

It's okay. I see it as reverting back to my childhood.

If you are of the Christian faith, I suggest that you turn to the One who bore the scars of death for you.

Then you will have no excuse.

What scars do you have?

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