Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

One of the consequences of leading an adventurous life is that occasionally you're going to gain a few bumps and bruises along the way. I like to think of these as “badges of honour.”

Here are some of my favourite badges that I've earned during my own adventures:

• The scrape just below my left elbow—still slightly visible—from when I took a header over the handlebars of my bike in Cape Peninsula National Park, South Africa
• The massive bruise on my backside from being unceremoniously tossed out of my kayak as I tried to ride a wave into shore in Monterey Bay
• The equally massive bruise on my left calf from repeatedly banging it against a trapeze bar every time I tried to fling my legs over it

What about you? Care to share any fond boo-boo stories from your own misadventures?

Read All About It

To learn how to deal with common injuries, from a bloody nose to a bump on the head, check out the March 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine for the 411 on First Aid dos and don'ts (page 123). Oh, did I mention that I wrote the piece? You can also download a handy printable chart from their Web site at www.realsimple.com/injury.