Toothache — A Story About Gratitude
Cherish the things you have before they're taken away from you.
Toothache, The Tyrant
Let’s travel back in time to a couple of months ago when all I could think about was this damned toothache.
It was as if this strong, cold wind current was trying to pull my tooth out throughout the entire day. This wind that broke out of a sea storm to try and put me down, when it was unsuccessful, it only grew in strength. And it was sooner rather than later that it had become relentless.
Strangely enough, I couldn’t even pinpoint which tooth it was because it only hurt me when I touched my teeth together. It was immune to both my finger and the flashlight I struggled to point right, up and down past my tongue that was acting like a child who wouldn’t stand still and past all the other tiny red bits of flesh and skin inside my mouth.
Why touch my teeth together then?
Because you would have done the same. You keep doing it to see if it still hurts, to check how bad it hurts, hoping whatever’s wrong back there vanishes. You get addicted to it.
So, from the moment I woke up till the moment I went to bed, I was fighting a war I was losing terribly. The only refuge I had was when I ate and the food became a soft pillow that stopped my teeth from grinding and mauling the injured one.
With only a couple of moments of relief per day, the fearsome sea current was going to subdue me, until one morning when it suddenly disappeared. The skies cleared, freeing me from the pain.
While it lasted, it was the only thing on my mind. It got in the way of my daily chores as well as my pastimes, but once it was gone, I didn’t pay a single more thought to it.
Ankle Sprain, The Thief
I’m still healing from an ankle sprain I suffered almost two months ago. Never will I judge football players again — Kevin De Bruyne, I’m sorry, I take everything I’ve said back.
Although it’s only my second serious injury in my two decades of playing the sport, it definitely made me realize that it doesn’t take much to take you out for good. You stumble or simply miscount your steps and you’ll be in recovery for longer than binge-watching all 15 seasons of your favorite show. Get into a head-on at high speed with another player and your career may be over.
I remember trying to stop the ball before the other guy kicked it as hard as he could. My ankle got stuck — damn you, asphalt covered in fake grass — absorbing all the shock and power from the kick. I collapsed to the ground and I’m still dealing with the outcome of the accident today.
When I went for my check-up last week, thinking this should’ve only lasted no longer than a month, I asked the doctor “Will I ever be able to run again?”
I’m dramatic, okay? I know that.
And eventually I will — or so he said — but if I tried right now I would be close to falling flat on my face. My foot just doesn’t bend that way anymore. The pain stops me as soon as I take the first step.
Yes, it’s that bad. I don’t recall it being this bad when I suffered my first serious injury as a teenager, but maybe it was the blood loss from cracking my skull open and the dizziness that followed that make that day not so clear. Hey, at least back then I could walk myself to the emergency room.
I’m just kidding. I know a head injury is much, much more dangerous.
I never thought about not being able to run. I can’t hurry anywhere. I often lose cabs and I’m much slower on the stairs, which I always take despite the circumstances. I haven’t been able to do a leg workout since it happened. Allah yostor (God forbid) there’s a fire or I need to run from a life-threatening situation because I can’t. I’m also limited in how I sleep. My injured foot has to dangle off the bed.
The whole incident has left me feeling weaker. Something was unjustly taken away from me, but a lot worse things can happen to any of us at any time. After all, I’m still alive and I’ll be back to normal in due time. Fingers crossed 🤞.
Gratitude, The Good Samaritan
The premise of this story was about my need to talk about gratitude and ground myself by looking at all the positive things around me, so here we go.
I have an amazing best friend who listens to me and all of my problems all the time — she could write entire books about what I’ve been through. I can talk to her about anything and we might go wine tasting for the first time ever next month, for which I’m incredibly excited. Besides her, I’ve got a small circle of very good friends that I know are good people.
I’m healthy. I’m not allergic to any foods I love — I’m sorry, Marwa, I don’t know how you do it. If I were allergic to dairy or chocolate for example, my life would be over. I’m not allergic to any medicine either. My physical health is in great condition and I can donate blood to help others in need as well as work out as often as I want.
I’m going to see The Equalizer 3 this Thursday. It might be the first time I go to the cinema alone, but I’m thrilled about having the night to myself. It might also be the first time I go to a movie première.
I can’t wait!
Following the Barbenheimer phenomenon, I think I’m discovering that I’m really passionate about films and all the strong emotions they give me. And I’m not solely referring to movies that’ve had millions of dollars poured into them but inspiring, creative YouTube videos too, such as the one I’m quoting below:”We watch movies and hope that life is as fluid and calculated as it is on screen. Either this or that, with a clear outcome for each decision they make. It’s like looking into a mirror and seeing how you’d want everything to be. And we hear things that hit our heartstrings and watch stories with pieces of us in it. And we look at it as a guide to life when, really, it’s just an altered version of it. ‘That’s what makes me sad: life is so different from books. I wish it were the same: clear, logical, organized. Only it isn’t.’ The loneliness. The heartbreak. The mess. The freedom. We all want an example, a one-size-fits-all handbook to help us navigate through. But we can’t just wait around for life to happen to us. We have to seek it.” — Life Of Riza, For those waiting for life to happen
Ever since I finished “The Walking Dead” a great many months ago, other shows haven’t quite lived up to my expectations. However, I’ve recently found out there are many spinoffs to the original series and I couldn’t be any happier about that.
I’m watching the second one right now, called “Fear The Walking Dead” and so far it’s decent — nowhere close to the original, but it’ll do. After a long hard day, it’s nice to have something familiar to fall back on.
Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead I guess the other, bigger point I’m trying to make here is that I can read, write and understand English. If I hadn’t started learning my favorite language as a child, none of this would’ve been possible. Neither of us would be here reading this right now.
Thanks, mom.
I have access to unlimited books and the whole entire world through the internet. I have a place where I can express my feelings and talk about my experiences to other people. I have a place where I can let my creativity shine according to my own rules and ideologies. I’ve got some beautiful future poems and articles that I’m proud of already. They’re just drafts right now, but don’t you worry because you’ll see them soon enough, I promise. I’ve got great plans when it comes to my blog and I’m grateful I’m still passionate about it one year later. My blog makes me feel like I’m doing something meaningful with my life.
I’m free of any debt, moral and financial. I’ve got complete personal freedom, and that’s because I never liked living under someone else’s conditions. I always did things my way, did what I wanted to. That’s how I choose to live my life, my happiness is nobody else’s business. If tomorrow I wanted to move across the world and start over, I absolutely could. I’m grateful I was born in a country inside the European Union, which allows me to travel freely. I’ve yet to do that, but it’s definitely on my list.
I can afford the things I want, most of them. I can buy groceries, clothes, online courses and subscriptions that allow me to further invest in myself. I can go out every night and not have to worry if I have enough money for an Uber back home. This wasn’t always the case. I think back to a couple years ago when I couldn’t understand how people lived like that.
I have working air conditioning, without which I would have most likely perished this summer. I can buy games and cosmetic items without having to wait for the big sales that take place during Christmas.
I’ve come across a store that sells the shoes I like. Not only that but now I think I finally know what my favorite type of sneakers are called. I present to you, “tennis shoes”:
Some of them might actually be for running, so don’t take my word for it.
I want to go and get this cute little ram:
For one, I’m hoping it’s going to cheer me up when I’m feeling sad and it’s the perfect match for my zodiac sign, Aries. Another reason for buying it would be as a future gift to my significant other. It’s something that will remind her of me and keep her spirits up.
One of my favorite Honkai Star Rail characters has been officially announced to arrive soon and I’ve been able to save up enough to guarantee getting her. I’m excited and I know it’s the second time I say that, but I would put it everywhere in this article if I could.
The determination I had to become the best at something when I was younger and I could dedicate the time. I remember beating the best clan in the world at MicroVolts, reaching the top 500 best players in Europe on Overwatch, and being a brilliant getaway driver and a criminal mastermind with the second most eliminations over a server’s lifespan in the San Andreas Multiplayer days. Competitive video games and playing foot tennis till morning defined me and filled my life with so much joy.
D.Va from Overwatch, my favorite fan art (Happy Halloween!) I’m grateful for meeting such a wonderful teammate and friend: the best healer, Marty. He put up with my mood swings and my mental breakdowns match after match. Our paths went separate ways and we no longer talk today, but I hope he’s doing fine.
My orchid’s grown a new leaf:
I can turn my room into my own music studio whenever I please without my neighbors complaining or calling the police. Music is important to me.
Possessing the courage to step out of my comfort zone and go for what I want. I’m more or less referring to approaching women in my search for the right one.
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily.
Not to dare is to lose oneself.” — Søren KierkegaardI like to imagine that we’re looking for each other at the same time.
I’m a kind soul. I’m a good, handsome, loving man that this cruel world hasn’t managed to corrupt yet.
I’m grateful for all the lessons.
I know that things always work out for me in the end. There are many blessings coming my way. I’m sending them your way too.
☔ Here, have this umbrella for a rainy day. If you would like to support me, please share my story with your friends and loved ones.
