Only Human

Here's the whole story

Okay, it was summer... 1997 I think. I went a few hundred miles out of my way to tryout for the only junior hockey club in my region.

I worked out, stayed in relatively good shape, had maybe a smoke or two a day. I even went to great lengths not to have sex with my girlfriend at the time just to have that extra energy. But, that's a different story.

Anyways, after a few grueling sessions I noticed that I never once hit the ice. Body checks and other assaults that would have been called as a major penalty in a regulation game insued. I was quite proud of myself of not falling to the ice.

Day two and the fourth session of the tryouts I was a hunted man. Since the coaches noticed I never been knocked down, they sent head hunters after to me. Trust me, an elbow to the head still hurts even when you're wearing a plastic helmet. So, here it is... I was speeding by the forecheckers and found a space between the red and opposing team's blueline, a quick bullet of a pass came streaking between my legs and I contorted myself as to redirect the pass to send it towards the corner. Just as I completed this feat, I swung my head back to the direction of my feet... then it happened. I went face to gut with the fattest hockey player that made it passed the third session. A lightning fast shock of pain travelled up my arm and into my neck. I was on the ice. The scrimmage immediately ended as everyone knew something was wrong.

It wasn't so much that I didn't see the defender standing at the blueline or that I choose to receive a suicide pass from a teammate or the fact that the person I skated into was almost a full two feet taller than me... it was a simple $20 watch that sent me to the ice.

I received the watch as a gift... sentimental valued... and something I didn't want to lose in the dressing room. So I wore it out on the ice. That was my mistake. So when I went face to gut with the bruin of a man, my wrist was between the gut and myself crushing it as my watch wedged between my forearm and backhand. Snap! There goes my scaphoid.

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