"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Doug Adams"A thorn in my side" is probably the best way to explain the pain of this single sea urchin spine left in my heel. The final intruder seems to be the only remaining signage of the disastrous kayak expedition I led (ha!) Paige on in the British Virgin Islands last month.
For the record (I'll admit)...what was I thinking?
When I showed Brent the sole dark spine still embedded he offered his surgical prowess to cut it out. Fat chance! It's way too deep to let Brent start gauging around - at least if I value my mobility and want to walk again. I've seen Brent get overly enthused about simple sliver removals!
Skipper Terry thought any remaining spines we couldn't extricate looked small and would either work their way out or eventually dissolve. And he was correct with all but the last lone spine in my heel.
It's not painful all the time. I only notice it when I first wake up and then intermittently, usually when my heel bumps up against something or slides into shoes. Otherwise it seems rather benign.
I'm almost convinced it's staying around as a reminder; so the minute I start considering harebrained ideas as viable options, I'll recall how well listening to my inner idiot fared in the Atlantic ocean.
Perhaps this urchin spine will be my cross to bear, sort of like when the Apostle Paul notes "there was given to me a thorn in the flesh." (2 corinthians 12:7) Somehow Paul takes pleasure, even glories, in his thorn. But I'm not there yet, not even close!
