it has been brought to my attention that some of my loyal readers are unfamiliar with this tragic event. here's a recap:
it was the summer of '86. i was five. we had just moved back to the states from germany and before moving to arizona, we took a three month sabbatical in idaho falls, idaho to catch up on visiting time with the grandparents. one day, i woke up with a kink in my neck, it hurt desperately and i'm sure i was whining non-stop about it. to put me out of my misery, my mother ordered me to lay in bed with the left side of my face/head firmly planted on the sweltering heating pad. being the obedient child that i was, i did just so. i remember laying there for what seems like, looking back on it, about a solid month. i was on the twin bed in a room in my grandmother's house. it was farthest from the window with another twin bed just in front of me. during my month long bed rest, i saw a hummingbird outside the window and was the highlight of my life during this dark period of my childhood.
at one point, several weeks into the torture, my mother decided she should assess my progress. upon doing so, she discovered my left ear had been burned beyond recognition. there's a fuzzy memory of making a trip to the emergency room or doctor's office with a pillow glued to the side of my head (probably stuck to the oozing and burnt flesh). yes, my neck was so stiff, i needed the aid of a pillow on my trip so i could comfortably lay my head wherever i wanted.
anyway, long story made less long, my left ear had a puffy, swollen, and bright red burn on the outer edge of it. i had to endure years of questioning from school teachers, wondering what happened to such a lovely girl. which i would promptly and unabashedly reply, "my mom burned me with the heating pad!" it has been a long and painful journey back to being normal. i still have a tendency to immediately turn my head to the left when i meet someone new so they won't notice my deformity.
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9 comments:
To set the record straight, you only were laying on the heating pad for a day. And you no longer have a big, red, puffy thing on your ear, it's white and sort of calcified.
I would like anyone who wants my side of the story to contact me. My gosh, you make me sound like a monster!!!! It was a very unfortunate accident. Too bad I am not rich and you could sue me for millions and live a Paris Hilton lifestyle--No work and all play. You could also sue Grandma, the pillow manufacturer, the heating pad company and don't forget the store where Grandma bought the heating pad! Your future is set!
The deleted comment was from me and it was the same as the one that is now there but without the terrible spelling error I made and did not see until I had clicked on the publish button. I deleted that post and added the new updated spelling version. I did not realize it would say "comment has been removed by the author". I am just covering all my bases so that in the future I am not misquoted or misunderstood!
You can post the correct version here as a comment. I didn't know all the details so I had to embellish. Poor Jake was incredulous as he read the post. So, for the sake of my husband, please post the correct version. :)
It looks like all Ingermanson children know how to lie very well. Or at least make their stories sound better than they were. I was laughing so hard when I read your rendition. The hummingbird was my favorite part. Was that part at least partly true?
Yeah, the hummingbird at the window sounded like something out of a movie like Shawshank Redemption, or like in All Quiet on the Western front when the soldier reaches out for the butterfly. Also, you've been tagged: http://lifeintheabstract.blogspot.com/2008/08/ive-been-tagged.html
Go to the above link to find out what that means!
Well, my side of the story is that it was an accident. My mom always had us lay on a heating pad when we had a kinked neck. The mistake I made was I think I had you lay on a wet washcloth. I had the heat to high and probably did not check back soon enough. You were not there that long but 30 minutes to a 5 year old is a long time. I am sure it was only an hour or two. I felt HORRIBLE when it happened!!!! I hope someday that you will forgive me. I also hope that Jake will not hold it against me too long.
haha. It's interesting to hear the correct version. I do have to say, I distinctly remember seeing a hummingbird outside the window. So unless my memory is failing me (which could be the case, but I REALLY remember it), it happened. And, Mom, I don't think I've ever been mad at you about it, so I guess you can consider yourself forgiven. It just makes a better story to be dramatic.
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