When I was a kid, say in the seven- to ten-year-old range, I almost always sported a scab on my knee and elbow. Sometimes, a blackened fingernail joined the duo; it took forever to grow out. Even my socks and pant legs were marked, not by rips and tears, but with burdock balls that decorated my faithful dog\u2019s fur as well. <\/p>\n
Fast-forward seven decades and here I am, looking like that younger self. Back then the knee abrasions came from bicycle accidents \u2013 a pant leg caught in the chain while coming down the steep hill I lived on, and crashing onto a cinder side road near the bottom – all because I was not able to push the pedal backwards to engage the brake (no hand brakes in those days). <\/span><\/p>\n The scab I sport on my knee at the moment came from banging it while sitting at the table and bumping it while switching positions. The one on my elbow came from walking out the back door and bumping into the lock mechanism. The other decorations I sport come from similar, seemingly innocent missteps \u2013 it\u2019s what happens when you are an old coot. <\/p>\n Like most of us old guys, I\u2019m on a low dose, daily aspirin regimen to keep my heart healthy. This results in small bleeds under the skin. If we bump into too many things we look like some thug beat us up in an alley. Our old skin enclosure also thins as we age – aspirin or not. Sometimes those bruises break through and walla! We look like a 10-year-old again. Add a suntan to the equation, further thinning the skin and we are officially \u201cthin skinned\u201d – literally! <\/p>\n