I injured a friend’s child not so long ago. I belted a soccer ball into his face from about 2m away. Meet The Fockers Style. But worse. This kid was wearing glasses.
To add insult to ….well, injury….. there was blood.
His dad, a doctor, thought I had burst his septum and caused some kind of major internal damage. The way he looked at me I thought I might be in need of a doctor. It is hard to find a worse feeling of shame or guilt than injuring someone else’s child. Particularly the child of a close friend. Someone you have known for years. Someone you see often. It is awkward. You can only apologise so many times. There are no words of comfort.
It is hard to get through life without hurting a little person. Whether it is watching your baby tumble backwards off the bed due to lack of attention, catching their fingers in the car door or tripping over them because they are so small and you don’t see them. There is a minefield of children out there that need to be avoided.
Just like a health and safety induction course before you enter a building site – there should be a similar course when you become a parent. What to look for, what to avoid and what to consider when around children.
The shot in the face was of course accidental. We were playing soccer with the kids in the park. I was taking a corner.
This boy was standing 2m in front of me. I was going to gently and deftly lob it over his head for one of the other boys to knock in. I knew he was standing there. Now I am not known for my soccer skills. I had a rush of blood to the head, mis-kicked the ball and pummelled it straight at his nose.