In the course of researching my books, I have put myself in harm’s way on more than a few occasions; and - over the years – been shot at, attacked in various ways, injured painfully, and, every so often, scared out of my socks, but I generally expect to be safe in my own study.
My computer may well induce a heart attack, but it has never actually attacked me, and my other possessions have a track record of being comparatively benign. My chair has never tried to engulf me and I don’t recall a single pen which has adopted an aggressive posture and tried to sever my jugular. In fact, even my scissors, which are certainly capable of inflicting serious damage, have behaved themselves. As for my books and files, their content may be disturbing, but they have never actually assaulted me. Or they hadn’t until the day after Thanksgiving. Then a file folder attacked me and stabbed me in the right eye!
Just so you know, being stabbed in the eyeball is exceedingly painful. Being stabbed in any kind of ball is no day at the beach, but there is something about one’s eyeballs that makes an attack on any one them particularly shocking. Yes, I know Nelson got on fine with only one, but I’m a writer who works with two screens so I find having two eyes particularly useful.
But what was the file in question about? Perhaps its title would help explain its behavior.
The stupid thing is that I don’t know. Once stabbed, I dropped the file back into the file box and now I haven’t a clue.
Which means it may strike again?
You know that’s a very disturbing thought.
But, let me finish on a high note. A week after yanking that file out of a file-box – which I had carelessly positioned at eye-height – my eye no longer looks like a pool of blood, the bruising no longer hurts, and I seem to have suffered no permanent damage. But, I was put near completely out of action for several days. and felt rather as if I had been concussed.
Believe you me, this writing game is a tough business.
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