Rukmini: Week 4 - Web SLING-er
Back in May, I experienced something that I never thought I would have to go through. I broke a bone. I know, I know, it’s common. But, for some context, I got injured A LOT as a kid.
My mom said I used to climb things on the playground and jump off them because I didn’t know how to get back down; you can imagine how I often believed I was a superhero, a type of Spiderman that’d always land on their feet.
I once went flying off a swing across a park because I swung too high; I fell so many times on my elbow that I broke my seventh layer of skin, and have a permanent scar; I’ve had my fair share of knee scrapes or face scratches, but never, NEVER a broken bone.
I won’t go into detail about how I got injured (it was certainly unpleasant), but I ended up walking away from the hospital with a fractured collarbone, a recovering dislocated shoulder, and a fractured shoulder bone. During finals and AP season, it was such a hassle to have my dominant hand tucked away in a sling.
Eventually, this past summer, I finally got my sling taken off (and immediately went back to scaling playground equipment–this is a true story).
However, as this school year started, I found myself passing the sling, still hanging on a shelf in my house. Whenever I felt stressed, a part of me wanted to wear it again.
The sling was my protection. This is because, for the first time, I was scared. Every single time I fell, got scratched, got bruised as a kid, sure, I was hesitant to go back on to the playground, but I went back every single time. This time was different. This time felt real.
Such a core part of my personality and identity is taking risks. I was scared to be that part of myself, and end up in another hospital. So, I found myself wanting comfort from my sling, the literal and mental support through this experience.
It got me thinking about the things I’ve gotten attached to throughout my life. My childhood stuffed animal, Froggy. My lucky green t-shirt. My digital camera. My photo wall. (I know, you know, if you read the last blogs.) Now, my sling.
I suppose the things we find comfort in are the bits of our identity we can hold on to when times get tough. Being sentimental about “things” is often seen as holding onto unnecessary objects, but the emotions we associate with these objects, bad or good, are essential to holding onto parts of our past or current identities.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, the next time you pass your childhood stuffed animal in the hall, or another object you love, give it a little pat, and take comfort in remembering the bad and good memories that make up who you are today.
Rukmini, I noticed that this time, you utilized more emphasizing techniques such as all capitalized letters and italics. Also, you added more of your own thoughts through parentheses. It really brought out your energy you’ve been hiding all this time, giving your blog a bit more character.
ReplyDeleteI think that fear is common, especially when reality hits. Your experience of a broken bone is when the years of risk taking builds into a fuller image, the actuality. It is kind of similar to how during the pandemic, we were all stuck inside our homes, but since we were younger, we didn’t understand the reality. The infections, the rapid spread, or the many deaths; we just saw the statistics on the screen. Only if someone we knew got infected, then we are fully aware of the effects. Reality hits.
I thought it was interesting how you pointed out that you are attached to your sling because of its sentimental value. It was the thing you relied on when everything came crashing down, and thus now you are drawn to it and want to regain that comfort of having something to rely on. The article you included stated that overtime, our “precious items” become “infused” into our identities, making us more connected to them. Personally, I have many items with sentimental value, like simple things such as my friends’ birthday cards to me or a notebook from a memorable class. Over time, these attachments become a part of me, making me want to keep them as memorabilia.
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ReplyDeleteI really like how this blog connects something as simple as a sling to a larger aspect of your identity. The line about the sling being your form of “protection” stood out to me because it shows how the object became more than just something supporting your shoulder; it became a reminder of a time when you were forced to confront a side of yourself that you weren’t used to seeing. I also think the contrast between how you immediately went back to climbing on the playground after getting the sling removed and how you wanted to put it back on later is interesting. It exemplifies how a specific experience can change our perspectives towards something that used to feel completely natural.
ReplyDeleteI liked the part where you listed Froggy, your green shirt, your camera, your photo wall, and finally your sling. You are able to show that sentimental objects don’t have to be important because of what they are, but what they represent to you individually. These objects are all physical versions of these memories, exactly like when you talked about your photo wall in a previous blog. Your point that such items make us “hold on to” parts of our identity that we otherwise would let go eventually was really relatable to me as I still have little collectible items from when I was much younger.
Also, I really like that you’ve been using your own images in all of your blogs so far. It creates a really personal connection between what you are writing about and yourself. These visuals are a really nice way to show what you value and treasure in your own life.
Hi Rukmini! I liked how you used a personal story to convey how people can have a very deep connection with “things.” I found the Spiderman soundtrack playlist at the end of the blog to be a nice personal touch as well as a creative reference to your personality before you broke a bone and your punny title. I also enjoyed seeing your childhood images; they give me a sense of the history behind the connection with your inanimate objects.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel a connection to certain objects of my past. Sometimes, cleaning out my stuff and getting rid of things is difficult since I have so many memories connected to them. Looking through my older belongings (which I keep in a memory box) allows me to relive moments of my childhood, just as you described.