It's electrifyin'!

This evening, I had one of the most shocking experiences of my life.

I brushed my finger against an exposed outlet. The outlet where our oven is supposed to plug in. In a split-second my arm started to feel like jelly and I knew something was amiss.

This wasn't my first intimate encounter with electricity, but I think it may have been one of the worst.

The funny (?) thing is that most jolts I've gotten have been from exposed outlets. I also received a shock from a baseboard heater one time. And I know there have been others, but apparently there have been too many for me to keep track of them all.

You'd think I would learn. Especially around exposed outlets. But it hasn't seemed to sink in yet.

Why is that?

I know how bad it makes it feel. Especially when I grab onto something, not just brush against it, and more volts are given access to my body as a result of an exposure of greater surface area and a prolonged touch. I know how dangerous it can be. I also know that I'm prone to accidents.

But I have an independent spirit. I like to do things on my own. And I tell myself all the time that I'll be careful. I know what I'm dealing with. Nothing bad will happen.

And now it's happened enough that I can't remember each occurrence. Right.

On the bright side, no permanent damage has ever been done. That I know of.

So why not quit while I'm ahead? Learn to back away from an unplated light switch even when I haven't gotten all of the wallpaper scraped off of the wall and there's a particularly stubborn piece that doesn't seem to want to come out of the hole?

I seem to do this in other areas. Like staying up late the night before I know I have to get up early. When I have a big test the next day and know I need to focus. When I'm going to be traveling for hours on end and need to be alert and focused while I'm driving.

Is it pride, maybe? A need to prove that I can do something just because? Because like I said, I've been electrocuted many times and it never has been serious. And I've stayed up late before many tests and have still managed to do well, and have yet to have any sort of accident out on the road, even after a mostly sleepless night. (Although, I'm sure I've come close.)

Whatever it is, it seems to pervade much of my life. Introspective as I am, it intrigues me. Makes me wonder if I should be concerned, because I see a potential danger. But I hope the consequences aren't ever serious. Though, if they were, maybe it would get my attention.