While you were out

2016
35mm photograph and wax paper printed note on wood

When I was 8 years old I fell down a root cellar staircase at my great-grandfathers cabin in the mountains of Western Norway. I was with my grandfather, mother, aunt, three siblings and two cousins. My memory of the event is in slow motion. The adults, who saw me walking toward the giant hole in the floor, called out my name until I went down. I thought they were applauding me for wearing my great-grandmothers hiking hat with the long red ribbon. Wrong. They were trying to warn me. Today, nobody remembers how long I was out for, they were just happy that eventually I woke up. I had a concussion, lost two teeth, and gashed under my chin pretty bad--there’s still a scar. My mom said she didn’t even think of taking me to the hospital because we were in such an isolated area. I have no recollection of what happened while I was out.