Shedding Skin

Shedding Skin
If you think that humans don’t shed skin think again. Well ok maybe we don’t shed skin in the same manner as snakes. Or maybe it is just me battering my body through what is called Life Experiences.
I had just started high school. I was at the stage where rivalry with older sibling was high. Abuse towards each other, fist fights it was all the usual bullshit.
I was sitting out the front of our house with a few friends. My older brother and a few of his friends rocked up. Now I can’t quite recall how push came to shove. Probably starting from the all too familiar shit stirring. Anyway being the cheeky little shits we were a thumping was going to come our way. But this time the thumping took a different form.
I was forced onto my knees with my hands held behind my back. A bicycle was bought into the equation. The back wheel of the bike was lifted of the ground. A hand rotated the pedals. The wheel spun faster and faster towards my face. I thought shit is they are trying to scare me it is working. I even declared that I give up. But knowing this was my brother no serious harm would be done.
How wrong I was. The spinning bike tire came into contact with me nose. Hot, burning sensations, extreme pain. The rubber trey had removed the skin from my nose. The blood curdling scream came from my guts and out my mouth. The looks on the faces of the people who did this was shock. I don’t think they even knew what the end result was going to be. I had the injury but they had the nightmares. Time leap to about 7 years later. 19 years old and on a surfing trip down the coast. Camping at the same spot we did every long weekend / holiday. The wind has picked up and the waves are nothing great so we leave the boards behind and go in for a body bash.
We all swim out past the breakers to shake out the cobwebs. Everyone is in good spirits as we are all heading to the pub tonight for the traditional New Years Eve drink-a-thon.
The waves start to come through in sets and body surfing takes our focus. After a few waves I swim a little further out. Here is my wave. I am getting this. Nothing else matters. I swim for it. The wave picks me up. I have it. I am on it. I throw my arms out wide and bring them around like a swan dive.
Shit, what’s that?!?! That wasn’t there when I took off and had some control. A friend of mine is swimming out right in front of me. I yell, he yells. He duck dives under me but it is too late. The wave takes control sending me skimming over the top of him.
My nose comes into contact with his wetsuit zipper. I feel pain, even with all the water around I feel my eyes water.
After I stop tumbling I stand up. My eyes catch something hanging off my face. As an instinctive reaction I grab it and pull.
FUCK….there goes all the skin of my nose.
I am not an attractive sight at the pub that night. I drink myself into oblivion and repeat the story over and over again for other people’s amusement.
I wake up with my face stuck to my pillow. Peel it off. Grab my board and go surfing again.
The skin always grows back and the stories always get a laugh.