Rather ruined than rabies
I got bitten in the hand by a dog yesterday.
Nothing too bad, but since rabies exists here in Thailand, I had to visit a hospital. Three shots, one tetanus and two rabies, with four more to come.
While sitting in the waiting room, I got some company. Someone close to me, someone who’s been by my side for as long as I can remember. The inner critic, chatting away:
“Why did I pet that dog? So stupid. Now I have to waste precious vacation time at a hospital, and it will cost more than I pay for my hotel room for a whole month.”
While that was going on, other patients arrived. But not the way I did, just walking in. These tourists came in on stretchers, screaming in pain. Motorcycle accidents and whatnot.
That perspective silenced the voice in my head. My situation was nothing compared to what those poor people were going through.
I started focusing on the positive side instead. I could just as easily have ended up with a serious injury. And if I ever get bitten again, I’m better protected and the treatment will be smoother.
It almost started to feel like an investment rather than an expense.
I’m now sitting at the restaurant where it happened. When I arrived, both the staff and the regular customers burst into a loud, long laugh. I had hidden my injured arm inside my shirt, looking like I only had one arm left.
All of a sudden, it almost started feeling like something positive had happened yesterday.
And it gets even better. The doctor I was supposed to see got called away. It was Eminem, and I could see incomplete treatment play out right before my eyes:
“You only get one shot.”