"What doesN'T kill us makes us stronger, right?"

… --'Role Models'

(… I feel as though my "injury-CONQUERING story" "paints ME in a picture" as a LEGITIMATE/AVCHIEVABLE  "ROLE MODEL".)

…
DURING my ESTEEMED "BLACK Belt"-TEST/-PROMOTION, my (STRONGER/BETTER) RIGHT-shoulder "popped OUT-of-the-socket".  
"AiN'T NO sweat!"
With MY "NEVER Say-Die"-attitude, I COMPLETED the HARDCORE-FIGHTING ANYWAY!  … And, I stood & received my 'kuro obi' ('black belt' in Japanese) with a SIGNIFICANTLY "slumped-DOWN/-OVER" RIGHT-shoulder AND an UN-pleasant GRIMACE of PAIN.
((… I TELL people that I received/EARNED … 'NI' ('NEE') ('TWO') "black belt"-RANKS (in two DIFFERENT styles--'Okinawan Shoreiru' AND 'Shuriru' KARATE), 'cuz 

"I'm … just … THAT … BADASS!"

But, I KNOW they're THINKING: 
"Oh, the instructor just 'felt-SORRY for you, 'cuz you BUSTED your shoulder."
My RETORT:
"Then, WHY did MY 'Professor' show a HISTORY of 'liking-ME' by SKIPPING my SECOND-level (of THREE) in brown-belt?!  He did the VERY-RARE procedure of promoting-me STRAIGHT from 3rd- to 1st-kyu BROWN!  …
Would ANY of you DOUBTERS mind 'get wipin that DIRT off my shoulder'?!"))

… 
So, I had SURGERY on my RIGHT-forearm to repair a SEVERELY-broken RIGHT-ulna bone … LATE in my JUNIOR-year of high school. 
… FREAKISHLY, my SENIOR-season of wrestling was--by FAR--my BEST.  EVEN with ONLY--essentially--~2/5 of my RIGHT (strongER, BETTER) hand, I QUICKLY learned to ADAPT & COMPENSATE.

…
What you do TODAY … CAN improve ALL your "TOMORROW"s!  

… So, since my "SPEECH-Therapist" is on a "BREAK", she assigned me some "HOME-work".
(… Quick TANGENT: I WILL "WORK" on some Speech/Language-exercises with my mom--'cuz it WAS her occupational-field.  … THIS way I can quote Ross Geller from 'Friends' in my excuse/explanation to my "Therapist":
We were on a … 'BREAK'!"  Ha ha HA!)

… ONE of SAID "homework-assignments"--that I DEVISED-- is/was to MAKE UP--& PRACTICE--various "tongue-twisters"!

Here's #1--that I "created" while brushing my teeth this morning:

"Sly Sally Struthers snuck stealthily & surreptitiously along the slippery-slope."

(… I EMPHASIZED/SSSTRESSED the letter "S", 'cuz THAT letter/SSSound is an EASY one for me to SSSay.)

… I created #2, while I watched tv around NOON-time:

"Polly Prince partially plays poker while baking pastries." 

(… I "focus" on the letter "P" during one of my USUAL "Speech"-exercises.)

… And, #3 came ~an hour later:

"Cooking crispy cookies while croqueting cuts-down on quality-care."

(… I, ALSO, focus-on the "C-"/"K-"sound in THESE "exercises".)

… JEEZ!  I did #4 ~30 minutes after THAT:

"Tying twenty tight tubes together took thirty tiring minutes."

(… I sometimes STRUGGLE w/ the teeth-/lip-placement & breath-control of the "T"-sound.)


… At "MARTIAL ARTS"-class tonight, my "Professor" said that HE & "the HEAD-/MAIN-Instructor of my System" were BOTH "singing MY PRAISES"! 
So, YAY … for ME!



MORAL
The days you are MOST-uncomfortable 
are the days you learn the MOST about yourself. 



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