I have but one thing on my mind today and one thing only, the scratch on the back of my hand. It’s not a particularly bad cut, I can’t even recall quite how I did it now but it happened late last week and now 3 or 4 days later it is driving me absolutely batty!
To me this is one of the stupidest things our bodies do. Why when the last thing you should be doing is scratching would your skin itch so bloody much? Intellectually I know scratching will just open the scab, eventually cause scarring and drive me nuts twice as long then if I just leave it alone but c’mon!
I can’t stop thinking about it, it’s the classic angel/devil on your shoulder scenario. The devil sits there on my left telling me how good it would feel to just scratch for one second while the angel sits weeping on my right shoulder. Saying no don’t I’ll make it worse it’s a really bad idea. The devil though sits there screaming out a reminder itch, itch, itch! The constant irritation, the need to scratch is about all I can think of.
The angel will try and distract me, “think of something else” it will say and I’ll try my best only to find one hand slowly inching over to the other, possessed by the devil on the left. Next thing I know the itch will be gone as will the scab and ten minutes later the itch will return and the argument between angel and devil will just begin anew.
Sigh, haven’t scratched it yet.
