So far, so good.
I've been quite lucky so far in terms of injuries received; nothing too serious or permanent.

One that sticks in my mind though occurred at a birthday party at someone's house when I was about six or seven years old. In those days (and perhaps in these days) you could send a card to the television people and they'd read out a birthday greeting in the bits between programmes. This kid's parents had done this, and when the appointed time came around we all dashed to the television.

I crashed to my knees to watch, and found a nail in the carpet that hadn't been smacked fully home. There it was, standing an impressive half inch proud of the floorboards, lurking concealed in the shag pile. I found it with my left knee, and at speed.

In my memory I could actually hear the CRUNCH as the head of the nail stabbed deeply in just below the kneecap. I could certainly feel it, and the wave of shock that washed over me just prior to the pain starting actually makes me feel a bit cold even now. The father of the birthday kid had to prise me off it, because I was frozen in horror and completely incapable of moving off it myself.

I'm delighted to report that there were what seemed to be gallons of blood everywhere, and it occurs to me to wonder now whether the frantic twitterings of his wife were because of anxiety about me or about the carpet.

Still. If the most painful thing that springs to mind happened over 30 years ago, then I guess I've been lucky.
(richardm, Fri 30 Jul 2010, 14:19, 2 replies)

cold shivers indeed
carpet nails are bad enough into feet, never mind kneecap!
(Monkeystrumpet monkey. Monkey, MONKEY!!!, Fri 30 Jul 2010, 14:40, closed)

I got my birthday read out
By Gus Honeybun. I got 7 hops and not a single nail.
( Dervel OTBC, Mon 2 Aug 2010, 14:27, closed)