Your Splinter

The other day, I got two splinters stuck in my hand. The first one, I was able to get out right away, but the second one took some time. I got it while moving these questionably old boards and didn’t notice it at first. When I finally did, I realized it was going to take more effort than I had to get it out. I’ve had splinters get stuck in my hand that took several days for them to weasel themselves out, so I wasn’t worried about this one. There was pain, but it was more of a nuisance than anything else.

Fast forward hours later when I could take care of the splinter and my skin had patched up and sealed the miniscule wood chip in place. Trying to push it out wouldn’t work anymore and I didn’t have sterile tools to go after it, so I let it be.

Sometimes, way after midnight, I had the hankering to get the splinter out. I grabbed my tweezers, but they weren’t helpful with my skin still sealed over the splinter. I grabbed the next best thing I could find: my nail clippers.

Little by little, I clipped at the dead skin around my finger until I clipped a hole for lovely puss to escape out of. Soon enough, I had the tiny splinter out of my finger.

The whole time, I couldn’t help thinking how such a tiny thing was causing me so much grief. The splinter’s placement made it uncomfortable to bend my finger. I couldn’t mess with it without drudging up pain. Just to get it out took me two different tools, ripping of old skin, and more time than this little splinter deserved. Because I didn’t take care of it right away, I had to deal with puss and it could’ve gotten worse if I left it alone.

It got me thinking about figurative splinters I may have. What am I not dealing with that’s causing mild annoyance, pain, or puss that’s affecting the rest of me? Bitterness? Loneliness? Negativity? Doubt? Maybe anger or self-loathing? Any of that shrink stuff. What can pop out quickly and what’s going to take more work to heal? And, do I have the effort to do it?

I’m still not sure my splinter, but I feel everyone has one. Maybe I have a bunch? Maybe you thought of one for yourself? How are you going help get your splinter out?