I Have Wisdom-See Stars, Not Scars; Part 2

The photos I showed a couple of days ago, I took at the vanity. What looks normal in the mirror, actually translates into a yellow cast as the camera tries to compensate. Thus, all that light that is too warm.

So, I took some photos at the sunny window and close up to show you the facts. Rainer Lara commented on Part 1 that she has a scar and a red spot next to it that really bother her. That comment struck a very strong chord with me.

I was in a head-on collision when I was 20. It was really bad and the EMTs thought I was dead when they got to the crash. I was driving and smashed my head and face into the steering wheel then into the windshield and ended up crammed under the dashboard on the passenger's side of my car. I won't list all the injuries but, I do want to point out that this left a lot of scars on my face. I had 4-1/2 hours of reconstructive surgery at my right eye bone and, my upper jaw was wired to my skull, and then, to my lower jaw as I broke my upper jaw bone clear across.

Almost 30 years since, I still have scars, physically and emotionally. Neither have completely gone away. But let me point out the scars because I now know, you won't notice them unless I point them out. At the top of my forehead, in the middle, there is a scar that looks like a backwards 'C'. I slammed my forehead so hard in the crash that, I broke my cranium and my brain bumped forward inside my skull. This isn't a good thing. I was quickly stitched up before x-rays were taken so it was only after the fact the break and internal bump were discovered. It was a crappy stitch up job too ,and I had glass coming out of the wound for 4 months afterwards. My doctor said that maybe they were just wanting to stitch me up to stop the bleeding and didn't wash it out very good. You Think??!

Oh, then right in the middle of my forehead, I have 2 chicken pox scars. OK, now you know why I wear bangs. Oh, and I have to give extra sunscreen to that scar otherwise, I end up with a large, red backwards 'C'.

Next...

 I broke the upper and lower bones around my right eye. I have wires in there that hold the bones in place. I have a scar right along my eye brow and that deep wrinkle under my eye...that's a scar. It used to be right up under my lashes. LOL.

I love the surgeon that did my surgery. I think only I can tell there is a difference.

OK, last bit...

Besides breaking my upper jaw bone, I lost front teeth and my bottom lip was  torn away from my mouth. There is a small scar right above the right tip of the arch of my lip. That was cut clean through from my tooth behind it. I was stitched up on the inside of my lower lip, but I am now thankful they didn't realize that the cut was clear though on the top; they might have put a stitch there and I would have ended up with a more obvious scar.

There are tons of 'cat scratches' on my right cheek from all the glass cuts. I have to look hard to see them now. There are two, small puncture wounds on the top of each cheekbone where the surgeon inserted wires to hold my jaw in place to heal. I had my lower jaw wired to the top to hold it in place, so my mouth was wired shut. I sucked shakes through the hole where my teeth used to be.

One last, big scar is on my right knee cap. I almost severed it off but got a huge stitch-job for that one. I also broke my neck, bruised my liver and broke my left hip (of which they never realized. I had it finally replaced 4 years ago this next Saturday).

My point is this, for a LOT of these years since then, I have been very self-conscience about my scars. I have spent, and wasted, so much time worrying and regretting them. Then finally, after feeling the need to tell anyone who would look close at my face what had happened, I started listening. I heard over and over, 'Oh, I didn't notice.' Never once did anyone ask about the scars before I mentioned them or ask me how they got there. Never.

Please don't wait to find your own beauty. Focus on what is good, beautiful, pretty about your face (and your body). This is why I can post, confidently, my own, bare face; scars and whatever because, hey, I really do have good skin!! I no longer care if someone thinks I'm bragging. It doesn't matter to me. I have found something I love about myself and I'm owning it.

Own your beauty too.