highlights
Did "Life Graphs" today. Jot down highs and lows of your life - whatever you can remember or have been told has happened to you from birth till now. If I was scared to have kids before, now I'm downright terrified. A sampling of their memories:
- Age 3. I got stichis (sic) in my head. Here is a picture. [A drawing of a head and a lot of blood.]
- Age 1. I rolled off the bed when my anty (sic) wasn't looking and had to go to the hospital.
- Age 9. I drowned. It was not fun.
- Last Sunday. I scraped my back on the Shaka at Hawaiian Waters.
- Age 8. I fell off my bike and scratched up my knees and my face and my elbows and my chest and my hands.
When S. was 9 (I think), he hit his head on the edge of a pool when jumping in for a cannonball. No one saw. He says he knew it was bad only because he lost his vision for a few seconds, and only realized how profusely he was bleeding when someone started yelling at him as he made his way up the bleachers. Blood was flowing out of his head and down his back. His parents weren't home and couldn't be reached, so someone else's parents had to stay with him till his grandma made her way to Hawaii Kai from goodness knows where. I could not believe that sane adults would not take a child bleeding like that to the Emergency Room. S. says it's because whoever takes the minor in is responsible for the hospital costs.
First of all, I don't know how true that is. Second, even if it is in its entirety totally and without exception true, the issue wouldn't even cross my mind. I would call an ambulance or take that kid to the emergency room myself. What kind of adults - parents, no less - put financial cost before common sense in a situation like that? Do people seriously go, "Call 911!" "Oh wait, we'll have to pony up for the ambulance. Nevermind."
So stupid.
Anyway, I hope to photo some of the Life Graphs because aside from their spills and chills, they are fabulous, interesting kids and I'm happy they trust me - and each other - with these details about their lives.
5 comments:
*nod* you gotta pony up for the ambulance. it's not cheap either. which is why i had to drive my pops to the hospital at 3am for kidney stones instead of using a perfectly good service like an ambulance.
and the kids turned out ok from their experiences. besides, how much of a little devil were you when you were growing up? can't stress about stuff you can't control. well, you could control it but then you'd end up with a psychopathic serial killer and that's no fun for anyone.
see but my thing was, what decent parent would not settle the ambulance bill with the person who made the call?
anyway, yeah, the kids turn out OK. but the endless possibilities of bad things that can happen when you turn your back for a second - or drop your kid off at a pool party - is horrifying!!
i'm not a worrier, really. well, not to the extent that i used to be.
the possibility of the bad never stops ending. you're gonna worry for a long time. it doesn't end when you're no longer legally responsible for them. just ask my dad.
it's not a bad thing to be a worrier. it's just what you do. maybe next year you skip the life graphs survey or just the bad parts.
Life graphs actually sound like fun- they must have had some pretty cute highs too hehe...
Yeah, it's scary but kids can handle anything. I think it's their attitude and they just have so much life in them...
I think that's messed up that those people didn't call the ambulance for him. If he was in their care, they should take care of the kid. For me, I wouldn't think twice to take a kid to the hospital if they needed medical attention.
Different strokes for different folks I guess. Too bad people gotta be so selfish though.
Reminds me of my baby brother- he broke his arm while in school and was in severe pain for 5 hours and they didn't call the ambulance to take him away. Something about policy... anyway, it's ridiculous.
Cute that you worry so much- the ones that worry the most make the best parents imho.
Oh yes, there were lots of cute Good Things, too. Pics to come!
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