7.9.20 // This is me

This is me.
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And this is my dinosaur hand. It looks like a dinosaur print when I lay it flat, and I find this hilariously cute.
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I used to be proud of my unique hands as a kid, but as I got older I got more self-conscious of them.
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Maybe I sense that people are looking at them more -- most likely to check my left hand for a wedding ring as I've aged? But in reality, most people never notice my hands and if they do, even fewer people say anything.
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I was born without a bone in my thumb on my left hand and a slew of misaligned tendons and muscles not only in my left-hand but in my right-hand too. Surgeries started when I was only a few months old.
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I went under the knife and anesthesia more than I could count on my 9 fingers by the age of 8.
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Eventually, my parents decided it was best to stop having surgeries. Most of the surgeries were experimental since hand augmentation was uncommon in the early '90s. Plus, developing an anaphylactic latex allergy at 4 years old is probably enough to frighten any parents.  

If you meet me in person and notice my hands, don't hesitate to ask about them. I love trying to fool people with an on-the-spot creative story... shark attack, blender, table saw? I've mildly traumatized more than one new friend.
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But in the end, these hands are pretty fantastic, not only because my left-hand fits perfectly in other hands (none of that awkward, whose thumb is on top stuff), but because my hands make up a rich part of who I am and I'm damn proud of that.