When I was younger, I had quite a few reckless moments that nearly got me into serious trouble, and some even left scars on my body . Looking back now, I realize how careless I was, but at the time, I thought I was invincible. I was a pretty rugged kid, and i always getting into rough activities that often led to injuries.
One of those injuries left a permanent scar on my face, and the experience could’ve cost me something even more valuable—my eyesight.
This particular incident happened during my primary school days. My friends and I were waiting at the bus stop for the school bus, like we did every morning. This bus stop happened to be right next to a shop that sold building materials—pipes, wires, and other construction materials. On a normal day, the shop owners would be around, but on this day, they weren’t there.
Also, our school bus didn't arrive on time, and, like most kids, we quickly got bored. We spotted these large black round pipes stacked on a metallic surface, and for some reason, we thought it would be fun to play with one of them. One of my friends stood at one end of the pipe, and I stood at the other, and we started pushing it back and forth to each other, thinking it was a game. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t realize how dangerous this was.
Then came the part that still gives me chills to this day. At one point, I put my eye right up to the pipe, not knowing my friend was about to push it again. He pushed with great force, and before I knew, the sharp-edged pipe smashed right into my face. It hit me just beside my eye, and blood was gushing out immediately. I started crying, not just from the pain but because i was scared. It was so close to my eye that, for a split second, I thought I was going to go blind.
Thankfully, the cut was just next to my eye, but it could have easily been a lot worse. When the school bus finally arrived, they rushed me to the hospital, and I got stitches to close the wound. Even though I was terrified at the time, I walked away with just a scar on my face—and a valuable lesson in the importance of being careful.
That scar is still with on my face up till today. It was constant reminder of how a split-second decision can change everything. I learned the hard way to never engage in careless and playful activities that could lead to serious consequences, and I’ve carried that lesson with me ever since then.