Inked

There's this guy who used to regularly come into the physio clinic when I first started working there and then his ICBC claim time limit came up and he stopped going. I remember him being so... defeated. His head was slung low and his shoulders seemed to curl forward as if they'd swallow his body whole and he'd disappear completely.

I can't imagine what it might be like to live with pain day in and day out. I see a lot of people at my work in pain, and I don't wish it on anyone. It seems to be a relentless beating that doesn't have a trigger; each attack is a surprise, not leaving a clue as to when it will cease. But then I noticed that there are some people who come in who deal with pain even worse than this guy and yet they have this positive and hopeful outlook on life. They might limp, but their eyes are sparkly. They might have paralysis in their face but they smile with as much of it as they can.

I don't dare judge, as I can't imagine standing for a moment in their shoes let alone walk a mile in them. All I do is observe and wonder how I'd live it out if it were me. I can only hope that my eyes would sparkle and that my mouth would curl into a lopsided grin but I bet with all of my able body parts that I would have both good days and bad.

The guy who stopped coming came back in the other day and when I unhooked him from the IFC machine, I noticed he has a tattoo on his back that I hadn't seen before. It reads: "Carpe Diem." Seize the Day.

For now, the tattoo is ironic. And maybe it would have been better if he had inked the slogan on the tops of his feet, as that is where is gaze usually falls. But as I stood there and wiped the ultrasound gel off his back, I decided that it's up to me, and only me, to seize the day.