The Harrison Curse!

First of all I need to explain what the Harrison Curse is.  My maiden name is Harrison.  In our fAmIlY, when we would get hurt or do something silly, someone would always bLaMe it on my dad's side of the family (Harrison).  Now, even as a child I can tell you that my sisters and I have all battled the "curse!"  We have all gotten hurt or illnesses/injuries in the most ridiculous ways.  I grew up thinking, boy, I don't know what that HaRrIsOn did that was so bad to put this curse on us, but I'm getting tired of being punished for it!

My poor mOtHeR spent so much time at the Dispensary (my dad was in the Navy).  The doctors used to tell her,  my sisters and I had more xrays there than the navy personnel.  It wasn't too bAd when I was young, but as I became a teenager, it was eMbArRaSsInG to have to tell the doctors how I got hurt.

When I was around 6, the neighborhood kids were playing bAsEbAlL and I was standing behind the batter.  When the kid swung the bat to try to hit the ball, I was standing too close and the bAt hit me in the forehead!  Big, big booboo and a trip to the emergency room.  When I was 16 and my friends and I were playing on the seesaw at the park. Yes, I mean 16 years old!  My fRiEnD on the other side decides on her next down, she would get off and not tell me.  When she got off, I flew off the seesaw, but my wrist got stuck under the handle you hold on to so...........sprained arm!  My oldest sister always played girls softball so she convinced me to tryout.  My mom bought me a  gLOvE and my sister and I went outside to throw the ball back and forth.  On the first throw, I tried to catch the ball bare-handed and broke my index finger. No softball for me!

Then another time the kids in the nEiGhBoRhOoD were playing softball against the parents.  My oldest sister did not like me to be on her team because I played so badly, so she put me on the pitchers mound.  She thought it would be the best place since not too many balls get hit to the pitcher.  I know you know what's coming!  The ball was pitched the to the dad batting, he hits the ball, a line drive straight to me.  It hits me in the head and knocks me out cold!  That ended my ball playing career!  When I was 17 and dating Joe, we were pLaYiNg around wrestling and somehow my right leg got caught up under his.  I ended up tearing the cartilage in my kNeE and was in a thigh to ankle plaster cast for 8 weeks!

I haven't escaped the curse as an adult, none of us have!  When my son, Steve was playing t-ball, Joe and I took him to the ball field to practice.  I was standing behind Steve to catch the balls he missed.  He fouled a ball backwards over the fence.  I started walking around the fence to the gate so I could retrieve the ball.  Joe & Steve start yElLiNg at me to just climb the fence it will be faster.  I told them, "You know I can't do that. I'll get hurt."  They were insistent, so against my better judgment, I climbed the 3ft fence.  While on top of the 3ft.fence, I grabbed hold of the 5ft. fence so I could jump down.  I jumped and as the curse would have it, my wedding ring got caught in the tall fence!  I was just hanging there screaming in pAiN for them to help me get down because my feet were not touching the ground.  Joe managed to get me off the fence, even though him and Steve were laughing uncontrollably!  I immediately took my rings off.  That was a good thing because my fInGeR started swelling.  I couldn't wear  my rings for weeks!

  One year I dislocated my shoulder at work taking ornaments off the Christmas tree.  I still don't know exactly what happened.  One minute I'm taking decorations off the tree and the next thing I knew my shoulder popped right out of the socket.  Very painful for sure!  There was the time I came in from work and walked straight to the garage.  My niece was staying with us and her and Joe were sitting in the living room watching TV.  I go into the garage and somehow I fell off the cement step down and hurt my ankle.  I screamed when it happened it was so painful.  The door was open so I could hear this conversation, Cara, "Uncle Joe, do you think Aunt Cyndi's hurt?"  Joe, "I don't know, maybe." Cara, "Well, do you think we should check on her?"  Joe, "Probably so."  This went back and forth a few more times. I finally yelled to them, "Yes, you fools I am hurt.  Can someone pLeAseE come help me up!"  There are so many more times the curse has struck, but you get the picture.  If there is any cRaZy way I can get hurt doing something, I will!

  When Steve & Heather were gRoWiNg up, every time they would get hurt or do something fOoLiSh, their dad would say, "That's the Harrison in you."  Now, they had no idea what "the Harrison" was, they just knew it wasn't good.  One day Steve was doing something foolish and got hurt and his dad said, "That's the HArRiSoN in you."  Steve got so upset he started yelling, "I don't want the Harrison in me.  I don't want the Harrison in me and ran out of the room crying!" I know we should have been sympathetic, but it was so funny we couldn't stop laughing.  I did try to explain it to him, but he was too young to uNdErStAnD the whole maiden name thing.    When Steve was a tEeNaGeR, him and a friend were playing with the gas grill.  He had the lid closed and turned the gas on.  As he opened the lid, he through a match in and, POW!  It burnt his eyebrows and eyelashes off!  Thankfully he didn't get hurt worse. He sure looked fUNnY with no eyebrows or eyelashes! As they grew older, they began to see how the Harrison Curse would appear at the most inopportune times and in the funniest ways.  Now, they both know it's power and as much as we don't like it, we have to respect it!

My sister Karan said I could share these two curse eNcOuNtErS with you.  She was making a cake and went to take the beaters out and hadn't turned the mixer off and it sucked her hand into the beaters!  It hurt so bAd that it took her a few seconds to realize what happened and turn it off!  The doctor couldn't believe it when she told him how it happened!  One time her husband, Greg took her on her first cAnOe trip.  There was a boy scout troop on the lake too and one of them ran their canoe over the top of her canoe and right over her leg and cut it!

This gives you and idea of the tReAcHeRoUs life we Harrisons have to endure! Usually when the "Harrison" rears its ugly head, we just call or text each other lAuGhInG and tell what happened.  Of course, you never get any sympathy, just laughing! A lot of laughing! There really isn't anything else you can do, so we may as well laugh!   We are hoping that as the years pass, we will have paid the dues for those Harrisons so future generations can enjoy being fReE!  Until then..........................!