Scrapes, Scabs, and Bruises

A crust of coagulated blood shielding formerly open cuts and abrasions and tissue sore from light trauma and exertion remind me that this vacation wasn’t some dream, and that I was just in Hawaii. The residual minor aches and pains are something that I enjoy, a reminder of scrambling and crawling over lava rock and coarse sand while hiking, tidepooling, and playing in the waves.
I don’t get scrapes, scabs, and bruises as frequently as I used to when I was a kid. Maybe that’s why I enjoy them: they remind me of when free time was a certainty, and most of the fun times I had were spent in the outdoors.