Leaf raking: extreme sport?

Last weekend I broke my arm. I’d love to be able to claim that I was doing something exciting like sky diving, hang gliding, or diving across the street to save a baby squirrel from getting smacked by a bus. But instead, while raking the backyard with my brothers, I slipped on a wet pile of leaves and landed on my arm.

Yup, pretty lame.

When I went to Health Services at the University of Waterloo on Monday morning, it felt really strange not having a parent with me. Any time I’ve been in a hospital/clinic setting, I’ve had a parent along to do all the talking for me.

But all of a sudden, I had to be a Big Boy and do adult stuff. Like talk to the triage nurse. I wasn’t exactly sure what the heck I was supposed to say. “Uh, I fell. And now my arm feels all slooshy and lumpy around the wrist. And I think I lost my vocabulary.”

When the nurse asked me if I had any pre-existing health conditions, I wasn’t sure what counted. I mean, if someone says, “Peanut butter-covered almonds dipped in bacon grease,” I feel like throwing up. But is that a medical condition?

Related Posts

Campus life at Canadian universities during the second pandemic school year

Canadian universities are welcoming students back to class, residence and even karaoke events. But there’s still plenty of online instruction, and some schools have vaccine mandates.

Inside the student-led movements urging Canadian universities to divest from fossil fuels

University students across Canada are frustrated by the slow pace of halting dangerous climate change, and they are wielding their power to do something about it

Yet despite my clueless look, everyone still treated me with respect, like...well...an adult. In the real world, 16-year-olds aren’t treated like adults. They’re treated like... well...16-year-olds.

When the doctor asked me how I injured my arm, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t have to maintain a specific storyline because of a parent standing behind me. I could tell him that I had been parasailing, rock climbing, or shark wrestling.

But before I could stop myself, I blurted, “I was raking leaves.”