Hi, you are “face to face with Shell”.
LET’S HAVE A LITTLE FUN…
Please have a look at this video and read on for more information:
HAVING FUN WITH MY BURNED CLAW HAND
My “claw hand”, as it is now.
As you will probably know by now, if you have been following me and/or know who I am; I was burned many years ago in a gas explosion and my right hand was very badly burned (fourth degree burns). My hand is “functional” but certainly does not look like a “normal” hand. I call it my “claw” and I have some fun with it.
My husband Chris and I took a short break to Blackpool; a favourite childhood family seaside holiday destination on the west coast of England, famous for its tower. I still love going there, especially as it holds so many great memories for me; especially as my dad is no longer with us. It was one of his favourite places to holiday and we went every year, well, that is until he discovered holidays abroad…lol.
Dad and I in Blackpool…amazing childhood memories (early 1970s).
I LOVE pirates and Blackpool has many places that you can buy “pirate” accessories; lots of “fancy dress” places can be discovered. So I found and bought my pirate hat, which I wore quite a lot.
It was our last night and we had ventured into a local pub, two of our servers from our hotel were there and everyone was having a great night; locals and holiday makers together.
A lively couple came in and were entertaining everyone with their dancing around…was all very good fun.
The girl asked if she could borrow my pirate hat? I said that she could on one condition; that she take “The Pirate Oath”. I held up my right hand/”my claw” (as I call it) and without blinking, she tried to mimic my claw with her two hands. She done very well. I said: “Excellent” and gave her my hat.
Brilliant I thought…she never flinched, stared, or had that look of: “What is that”? She just got on with what I had asked her…it was brilliant!
We all had a great night together and I was really made-up with the way that this girl had acted towards me and my “claw”.
I did get my pirate hat back by the way…lol.
Below is another video taken recently in Blackpool (August 2019) it tells another little story about the “claw”…please give it a watch:
Me with one of my pirate hats (2014).
Chris and I with our pirate (2014).
Another favourite place to holiday for Chris and I is Cornwall; steeped in pirate stories and adventures. If you have never been, it is well worth a visit, a beautiful county in England’s south west. We went to a “pirate experience”, where there were live actors. On entering, a pirate asked us to take “The Pirate Oath”. He asked us to raise our right hands or our hooks, so of course I raised my right hand, my claw hand. Again, the pirate took it all in good fun and didn’t flinch or stare…he asked me to raise my “hook” and I did…lol.
Another time that we had fun with “the claw”, was while Chris and I were in Cuba. We took a tour where every couple got their own small jeep and personal driver. The driver was great fun. He got our humour straight away. We travel with two little mascots (Samir Tiger and Fudge Bear) our driver strapped the two of them into the front seat instead of us.
Samir and Fudge with their pirate pistols (2014).
At the end of the day we were taken to a crocodile farm. Without having pre-warned me, whilst our driver was giving the “safety talk”, he asked me to raise my right hand, then said to the group: “This is what will happen to you if you do not follow my instructions”. My husband and I fell about laughing. There were a few gasps and laughs from the crowd. All done in great fun.
I am now at a stage where I feel that I can have a laugh about my “claw” and find that it can break the ice in some situations. Bear in mind though, that not everyone will get your humour…if they don’t, it’s their problem…they have not gone through what you have…these are your scars…you deal with them the way you want to…if others don’t get it…well, that’s a shame.
It is how I deal with it now. There is nothing further that can be done for my hand and I have to live with it and deal with it; dropping things, not being able to do small and intricate jobs, needing help with certain tasks, therefore, this is how I deal with “the claw”.
It wasn’t always like this, there were times, at the start of my journey, that I would hide my hand away and not show it. I have come a long way and you will too…it does get easier.
Stay strong and we’ll chat soon.
Please click on the link below, if you would like to see the next video:
PS: Below is another short video after we returned from Blackpool (April 2022):