Book Entry 186: 1987 Robin and the Gymnasium Pole

          Girls go through some major life changes in Jr. High and High School.  I know I did.  I remember the first time I was allowed to wear lipstick.  I remember my first pair of nylons, and I don't mean panty hose, I mean nylons with garters!  I remember wearing brush rollers in my hair every night.  They were so uncomfortable I stuck pieces of toilet paper between my head and the rollers just so I could sleep.  I remember how important looking as pretty as we could was so important to all of us.
          When Robin was thirteen, and in seventh grade, she decided to take a shortcut to the opposite side of school by running through the gymnasium.  I don't remember if she was alone or with friends.  I do remember the lights were off inside, and although Robin knew the layout of the room she managed to run face first into one of the support beams in the gym.

 I got a call from the school that Robin had been hurt.  Mrs. Jaqueth told me she was taking Robin to our doctor's office which was only a few blocks away.

Heart racing I was off to meet Mrs. Jaqueth and Robin at the doctor's office.  Dr. Bigelow showed me Robin had a huge egg shaped bump on her forehead and eyebrow. She had a deep gash splitting her left eyebrow down the middle.  When he showed it to me, Robin was looking too.  Her eyebrow was divided in a way that it was now bi-level!  Dr. Bigelow gave her a shot for the pain.  Next he gave her a shot of something that actually filled the dent so it was even with the swelling.  He took out his suture tray and started preparing to stitch.  (The picture shown is not Robin.  It is a cut much like hers except this one is horizontal and Robin's was vertical.)

Dr. Bigelow and I both had a hearty laugh when Robin mustered up the courage to look him straight in the eye and say, “Could you please try to get my eyebrow sewed together straight?”  The doctor assured Robin he would use his smallest needle and tiniest thread.  He told her when a few months had passed she wouldn't be able to see it.

It was the third week of  October.  When we got home all the kids ran to see Robin.  They all wanted to be sure she was OK but they were all curious to see her injury too.  They giggled and complimented her on the doctors good work.  They were all relieved their sister would be alright..  Of course, once Adam knew she was wasn't going to die he blurted out, “Hey, good going…you're ready for Halloween!”