My Swell Valentine

My Swell Valentine

For a couple of years in high school, I suffered from an embarrassing condition where a part of my face would swell for no apparent reason. Sometimes it was my cheek. It looked as if I had a huge chaw of tobacco (minus the brown goo around the lips). Other times it would be my entire upper lip. It would grow to enormous proportions. Sort of like a collagen treatment gone terribly wrong. This was not a good situation for a teenager whose self-confidence was shaky at best. 

The timing of these events was the worst part. It seemed to coincide with my social calendar. A day or two before a big date, I would feel a small itchy sensation which would evolve into a numb knot. By the time date night rolled around, there it was in all it’s hideous glory.  

One year, I was asked to emcee the Senior High Valentine banquet at our church. My date was a really cute girl named Tammy. A day or so before the big night, I felt that dreaded sensation. Initially, I considered hiding under my bed for a few days, but my sense of duty compelled me to carry on as planned. I don’t recall which part of my face swelled that night. I do remember being so embarrassed I couldn’t even walk Tammy to her door afterwards and never asked her out again. 

For years after that, my friend Robert would occasionally grab his upper lip and stretch it out when he saw me, as he smiled that great smile of his. It helped me to see the humor in it all. 

Have a swell Valentine’s Day. –Cleggo