So I’m watching another episode of a Sci-Fi space adventure series the other night when a commercial suddenly begins bombardment of my comfort zone with numerous and quite explicit photographs of young folks with very painful looking acne and assorted skin conditions. Photo after depressing photo while an “upbeat announcer” makes the pitch as to how effective the advertised product is in eradicating such problems. I am still unsure as to why I was so particularly receptive to that commercial at that time but was never-the-less momentarily transported back to my own “sentence as a teenager” in the horrid zit zone years of adolescence.
Although extremely fortunate and never actually suffering from the conditions presented on the television (which incidentally did not increase appetite or assist in consuming pizza rolls at the time) I could still recall days when I would have much preferred skipping school entirely rather than escorting to class that (what I perceived to be) gigantic zit on my nose, chin, forehead, or whatever! How embarrassing! Heck, even if I found the confidence to actually speak to someone how would I ever know if a response was addressed to me or that feared secondary life form emerging from my face?
I would imagine most of us have had similar experiences from time to time when embarrassed about an inconvenient pimple making a surprise grand appearance just before an important function or activity, but that was not the point of the present commercial as the product was obviously geared to those unfortunate souls suffering from severe skin problems during an already difficult and often confusing period of maturation. I suddenly felt depressed with a deep sense of sadness for those having to deal with such circumstances. Wonder what ever happened to that guy I knew in junior high who could have been a “poster teen” for this miracle medication?
Yes I went to bed that night thanking the good Lord for the many blessings received – especially those taken for granted at the time, such as the predictably unpredictable nature of teenage complexion and offered sincere prayer for those not as fortunate.
I woke the next morning to what felt like the very painful birthing of a secondary nose on the outside crevice of my right nostril! Yup, a huge bright red, throbbing, painfully swelling pimple in all its glory.
Thanks! (at least it won’t be accompanying me to school! lol)
Yup, all sorts of peculiar and unrelated things occur ….
My best to you and yours, Lew
