Medusa Sting

Every once in a while, Medusa come in toward the shore here. Medusa are jelly fish, and when they start to come to shore, it is time for swimmers to let them have their way, and get out of the water. Generally the Medusa do not stay for more than a day or two, and then you only have to be careful not to step on any dead Medusa drying on the beach. The reason for this is that Medusa sting. Oh boy, do they sting. And it hurts like fifty bee stings.

Of course there are two things you can do about a Medusa sting. The first, and easiest, is to have someone pee on it. Sometimes it is difficult to find volunteers for that duty, but if you do find someone, at least you have everything you need right there at the beach.

If you are unable to get the help you need, then it is time to go home and put some tooth paste on it. And do not worry about whether it is fluoridated, specially designed for sensitive teeth, cherry flavoured, anti plaque, or whitening. They all work just fine.

I am writing this because my friend Calogero Colletti (Charlie) and his wife Lucia were driving on the main road of Sciacca (115) which has two tunnels. As they were exiting one tunnel, going toward their home on the east side of Sciacca, a car suddenly tried to pass a garbage truck coming toward them. The tunnels are two cars wide. Period. There is not room to fit a third car, especially next to a garbage truck.

The driver's excuse was that she was rushing to the hospital because here grand son had just been stung by a Medusa, and it hurt. His arm hurt a lot more after that. And so did Charlie's and Lucia's. I am glad they had air bags, and that the air bags worked.

So even if you are stung by a Medusa, do not try to pass a garbage truck as you go to the hospital. It could be my friends coming toward you.