Ball goes rolling toward the side of the mountain, where the tree, light pole and makeshift clothesline happen to be. Sprinting for the ball before it disappears into a thorn bush over the hill and forces the game to an untimely end. Like a shot of lightning, my mouth, nose and 75 percent of my ocular region is introduced to the cable wiring. My nose was literally ripped off my face and hanging, just barely, by one nostril and some seriously distorted cartilage. The surgeon put me back together through whatever magic he can perform and I came out looking like the Elephant Man.
Life is over.
You can hardly tell I ever suffered a scratch. I was thinking about that accident while sitting in the dentist chair Wednesday. It was comforting because I knew there was nothing that could ever compare to the type of pain associated with having your nose stitched back onto your face. Plus, I asked for an extra shot of Novocain. Hey, you can never be too careful.