Not Exactly What I Expected to See.

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brucev

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So... today was, shall we say... interesting? Got up at 6 a.m. and went jogging for 45 minutes. This is something I do every Sunday morning as I think it is a good way to get ready to lead the morning worship services. By 8:15 a.m. I was out the door to the first church. By 10:15 a.m. I was in the road to my next church. By 12:30 a.m. I was back home helping my wife clean the house as we had the parsonage committee coming over later in the afternoon. This is where it got interesting. I have a Boker made reproduction of the WWII era V-42 which I think is a very practical tactical letter opener. I picked it up and immediately knew I'd made a big mistake. I could see the snap was open. The knife slipped out of the sheath, made a neat little 180 degree turn and buried it's razor sharp tip in the top of my left foot.

I've been stuck with a lot of things in my life... re-bar, a piece of a axle, assorted sharp pieces of wood, etc. One three occasions I've had clients or troubled teenagers try to use a butcher knife on me. Once a man tried to get my attention with a 2x4 studded with nails. And one afternoon in the summer before I got married, I had some excitement with a chainsaw while I was on the job at a customers home. But, I've never had a really sharp knife stuck in my foot.

When something like that is stuck in your foot, it is easy not to get excited and try to take a step. Really it is. What's hard is not jerking that thing out since you don't know what you've cut inside. In my case, my wife (wonderful woman! Got nerves of steel!) walked into the bedroom, looked at it and said, "This is going to hurt!" As a nurse working at a prison she's seen umpteen instances of people who have been cut and stabbed in all sorts of creative way. In short order she extracted my tactical letter opener from my foot, examined the surprisingly neat wound, checked to see that I could move my toes, etc. and then pulled it all together with steri-strips. A bandage to soak up any blood and I was out the door to my next worship service. We got back home at 4:30... just in time for the parsonage committee to arrive. By 6 p.m. everyone was out the door and we were, I thought, finished for the day.

Then... the phone rang. A church member asked if I could help with their cat. It had gotten out by a fence and gotten killed. He was all upset. His wife was all upset. He asked if I could get the dead cat for them. Given their physical condition... I of course say I'd help. So... out the door I go to find the dead cat and bring it back to their house. About 9 p.m. I finally got home. I figured what else could happen? I got cleaned up and got ready to watch a movie. I checked the e-mail. In the inbox was a note from a church member. Given what the rest of the day had been like, I had no idea what that e-mail might say. It's ominous title was, "Sermon." Upon opening it, I found a very much appreciated couple of paragraphs complementing me on one of the morning worship services and on the sermon I delivered. Imagine that! I began preaching in 1976 while I was in high school. In that time there have been many casual compliments made. But there have been very few people who sat down and wrote thoughtfully to express appreciation for a message I've delivered or a service I've led.

It is now 10:37 p.m. I've finally had some supper and I am watching the movie I'd earlier started. This particular Sunday has been rather eventful. No one talked about such things as this when I was in seminary. I am hoping that tomorrow is a little more sedate. I've had enough fun and games for today!
 
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Sorry about the accidental surgery..........

However, I have a question: If I read your story correctly you attend three different churches every Sunday!!

That I don't get.
 
Sounds like the OP preached different services or had a role in them. My pastor does the same.

There is nothing like a thoughtful comment or kindness to make the day memorable

Congratulations, oh yeah, glad the foot's OK.
 
Road Rat said:
Sorry about the accidental surgery..........

However, I have a question: If I read your story correctly you attend three different churches every Sunday!!

That I don't get.
Click to expand...

Not as common as it once was for pastors/preachers to have to cover more than one church, but not unheard of especially in smaller rural areas or if one church has "planted" another. I also know music people who work at more than one church.

Hope the foot is feeling better soon, and the members feel better about their cat soon (do they want a replacement kitten? ;) ) and glad you finally got to sit down for your movie.
 
captorquewrench said:
It is way, way, way too soon for them to even think about a kitten and I'm so glad you see that I meant that purely in jest.

Took me almost two years after my Alice kitty died to even be able to visit a shelter.

I really do hope they feel better about their cat soon.
Click to expand...

I'm not a "cat person" but even I teared up a bit last year when I had to break the sad news to my girls (ages 4 & 7 at the time) that their beloved cat had met his demise in the road.
It was several months, but their replacement cat was.... drumroll.... one of a rescued litter that somebody found in their shed in the backyard.
God works in mysterious ways.
I do feel for anybody that loses a pet.
 
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Re: three churches. I pastor four small churches on what is commonly referred to as a charge. The smallest one meets at 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month, a practice which they have been following since shortly after the end of the War Between the States. The other three churches meet each Sunday. I preach at two each Sunday morning on a rotating schedule and have a assistant pastor who fills in for me for the third church in the rotation. There are a little over 350 members in the four churches.
 
One of my motorcycle buddies is a Methodist pastor who recently left a gig in central South Dakota where he served three separate churches. His wife is a pastor, too, so between the two of them, they covered the three churches. Their new gig covers two churches, one in Sturgis, the other in Belle Fourche.

With the two churches come two parsonages. So far, the wife and kids stick pretty much to Sturgis, at least when his motorcycle friends are in town (Belle Fourche, that is).
 
I'm retty sure my cat-like reflexes would have kicked in, a second too late, resulting in me jerking and slicing my foot wide open. Glad you keep the shot gun pointing away from your foot. Bet your real glad your wife is a nurse.
Take it easy tonight. You deserve some relaxation.
 
If I don't somebody will............

Where are the pictures of your poor toe??;)
 
How's the knife? Did it get stained? LOL.....Just kidding. I hope you heal well.
 
Yeeowww...know that feeling. Once I laid some sort of large bowie I was admiring on an ottoman with the point of the blade hanging over the edge, got up for something, turned back around and stuck the tip in my knee cap. One thing about these large fighting knives is that they work as designed and a sharp one is better to get cut with as a clean cut seems to heal up better. Don't ask me how I know. I'm always reminded of that line in that John Wayne movie "The Searchers" when Ward Bond tells the young Lt. "Boy, watch that knife." Anyway, hope you're feeling better.
 
Are your tetanus injections current? Might oil or foreign matter from the shoe leather or socks have been driven into the wound? Or, were you barefoot?

I've heard two knives called "V-42". One is a big Bowie style that is really a short machete, used by Carlson's Raiders. I think they were also in some USAAF bailout kits, even in the 1930's. I believe they were by Collins, although I've seen similar knives by Case. I think one was sold as the Grizzly Hunter or some such monniker.

The other is a slim dagger used by the First Special Service Force. It has a skull crusher pommel and a thumbprint molded into the blade, to remind the user where to place his thumb when using the knife.

Originals are rare and expensive, usually better made than copies. Your Boker is probably one of the best repros. Neither belongs in your foot...;)

I'd really see a doctor about that and see if you need a tetanus booster or antibiotics. Or stitches.

From now on, don't pick up a knife in a way that it can fall out of the sheath. And don't throw a knife not designed for it; the tip may break. Puma has even used a sticker on the blade and sheaths to warn against that, and they make strong knives. I once broke the needle-sharp tip off of a Fairbairn-Sykes dagger by throwing it at the side of my mother's wooden garage. The knife came that sharp, probably honed by a Commando unit armorer before the surplus knife was sold. I know now not to have a tip that sharp, as it can snag in a rib as you stab someone. I wish I still had that knife. I paid $2.98 for it when I was a kid, buying it at a local Army surplus store. The value is now hundreds of dollars, maybe more for some variants.
 
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gunblade said:
Yeeowww...know that feeling. Once I laid some sort of large bowie I was admiring on an ottoman with the point of the blade hanging over the edge, got up for something, turned back around and stuck the tip in my knee cap. One thing about these large fighting knives is that they work as designed and a sharp one is better to get cut with as a clean cut seems to heal up better. Don't ask me how I know. I'm always reminded of that line in that John Wayne movie "The Searchers" when Ward Bond tells the young Lt. "Boy, watch that knife." Anyway, hope you're feeling better.
Click to expand...

Actually I am surprised at how very well my foot has healed. The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m. It was a little stiff on Monday. On Tuesday morning I slowly jogged for about 60 minutes. This morning, I went whole hog. I grabbed my M-1 Garand and held it at port/trail arms while I jogged for 90 minutes. There is absolutely no pain at all in my left foot. There is no tenderness in the surrounding muscle tissue. I can extend my toes up and down without any restriction, etc. Yesterday between jogging and normal walking I covered a little over 7 miles (per my pedometer).
 
Texas Star said:
Are your tetanus injections current? Might oil or foreign matter from the shoe leather or socks have been driven into the wound? Or, were you barefoot?

I've heard two knives called "V-42". One is a big Bowie style that is really a short machete, used by Carlson's Raiders. I think they were also in some USAAF bailout kits, even in the 1930's. I believe they were by Collins, although I've seen similar knives by Case. I think one was sold as the Grizzly Hunter or some such monniker.

The other is a slim dagger used by the First Special Service Force. It has a skull crusher pommel and a thumbprint molded into the blade, to remind the user where to place his thumb when using the knife.

Originals are rare and expensive, usually better made than copies. Your Boker is probably one of the best repros. Neither belongs in your foot...;)

I'd really see a doctor about that and see if you need a tetanus booster or antibiotics. Or stitches.

From now on, don't pick up a knife in a way that it can fall out of the sheath. And don't throw a knife not designed for it; the tip may break. Puma has even used a sticker on the blade and sheaths to warn against that, and they make strong knives. I once broke the needle-sharp tip off of a Fairbairn-Sykes dagger by throwing it at the side of my mother's wooden garage. The knife came that sharp, probably honed by a Commando unit armorer before the surplus knife was sold. I know now not to have a tip that sharp, as it can snag in a rib as you stab someone. I wish I still had that knife. I paid $2.98 for it when I was a kid, buying it at a local Army surplus store. The value is now hundreds of dollars, maybe more for some variants.
Click to expand...

Are my tetanus injections current? Am I not a man? And to quote Zorba the Greek, is not a man... stupid!!!??? Of course my tetanus injections are current! My wife knows how important it is that is for me, a man of the most stupid sort! She remembers October 9, 2004 ( my birthday ) when I was using a file to sharpen a lawn mower blade. I should have been wearing gloves. It took 18 stitches to close up my left hand. The on duty physician did a very good job of stitching up the wound. The scar is hardly visible.

Very happily I was wearing only wearing short pants since I was very busy helping clean the house for the parsonage inspection later that afternoon. There was thankfully no shoe or sock from which foreign matter could be introduced into the foot by the blade.

I am familiar with the large bowie used by Carlson's Raiders. I believe you are correct that the same or a very similar item was included in the USAAF bailout kit.

The V-42 which I have is a Boker reproduction of the dagger used by the First Special Service Force. It usually sits on the desk in the office which I have at the parsonage. When I saw it advertised for sale, I immediately thought that it would be wonderful as a letter opener in the office. It has gotten some stares from folks who chance to come in the office. The stares get more intense when the visitor sees my SA 5.9 M-1 Garand (2-56) leaning against the side of the desk by the wall.

About the only thing that I really struggled with in buying this knife was that Boker had it made in china. That is about the only thing that gave me cause for pause in making the purchase. As far as I can tell the sheath is very close to what was originally produced. The knife itself is well made. I've not torture tested the blade. The little experience I had with it this past Sunday was enough to convince me that it is suitable for sticking things. For skinning deer, etc., I'll stick with a little Browning drop point hunting knife that I've had for the last 20 years.

I really thought about going to a doctor. But... I've learned to listen to my wife. She is an extremely competent nurse who has had a lot of experience dealing with a large number of wounded inmates in a prison environment. The very first thing she did after removing the knife (and... wiping the blade clean... etc.) was to make sure the wound was clean. After she was satisfied that there was no foreign matter in the wound, she let it bleed for a little bit. Even though I was bare-footed and the knife was very sharp, she wanted to allow the blood to flow a bit to make sure that there was nothing in the wound. She then closed it using steri-strips and a adhesive bandage. She checked everything that evening after the inspection replacing the bandage. She repeated the process the following morning, then later in the afternoon before she left for work. Yesterday the bandage was again removed. The wound is only visible by a normal looking scab. There is no inflammation or redness at the wound site.

As many years as I've handled knives, axes, saws, etc., you'd have thought that I'd have better sense than to pick a knife up in the sheath w/ the safety strap not secured. It was incredibly stupid. Rest assured that it is currently stored with the safety strap snapped. I have no intention of repeating the stupid man sticks knife in foot routine!
 
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