OVEREXTINDING THE BRUISED MIDDLE FINGER

I can tell that the end of the school year is close.  How can I tell?

I am overextending myself to the wicked-nth degree.

 There are papers to grade and reports to write and files to update and materials to collect and binders to clean out and books to collect and cabinets to pack and portfolios to be completed and final grades to be calculated and all of this ... exhausts ... me.

I am so exhausted, in fact, that I get careless; I misjudge what I am doing when  sitting down to attend our teacher team meeting. Somehow in all the commotion that is my brain and its disengagement from the moment, I slam my middle finger between the semi-heavy chair I intend to use and the heavy desk behind me.

Immediately I hear a crunch and sharply draw in my breath.  This is not my first bone injury, and I have a high tolerance for pain.  I mentally try to count to five, but the reality is, I am in pain.  I am actually ready to howl. I.  WANT.  TO.  SCREAM. That's how much my finger hurts.

A teammate sees what I've done.  "Are you all right?" she asks me.

I want to say, "Oh, yeah, no problem, I'm fine."  But the reality of it is I think I may have broken my finger.  I try to shake my hand and dissipate the pain, but it only hurts worse.  I start with the mantra, "Oh, that hurt that hurt that hurt that hurt..." then draw in a gulp of air and quietly recite, "Fuck ... fuck .... fuck fuck fuck fuck ..."

I walk toward the back of the room because I really cannot face anyone at the moment.  I look down to see that my finger is already turning blue and purple along the top knuckle about a centimeter south of the nail bed.  I'm wondering if I should go see the nurse and get some ice.  I bend it.  It stings like hell and is boiling hot inside when I move it.

However, I CAN move it.  I am quite certain, though, that the bone is badly bruised, at the bare minimum.

Now I have no choice but to slow down.  The finger I injured is on my right hand.  My CORRECTING
hand.  Oh, well.  I hadn't quite mastered the wicked-nth degree over-extension, anyway.  Might as well really pile it on.  Hey, I'll give it all the bruised middle finger!