Brought Home Some Souvenirs

@moffittjc (117990)
Gainesville, Florida
November 16, 2018 4:56pm CST
I recently wrote about my experience at the 2018 NXL World Cup of Paintball tournament in Orlando, Florida. Although our paintball team has played in many tournaments, this was our first World Cup experience. Usually, we enter tournaments that have about 25-30 total teams, but the World Cup brought in over 600 teams from around the world. Anyway, besides the excitement and memories of having participated in the big dance, I brought home a few souvenirs from my participation in the tournament (see photo). Of course, this was what I looked like immediately after the tournament, when I got home last Sunday. Now, almost a week later, the welts are pretty much gone, but left in their place are black and blue marks. These marks were sustained in the our quarter-final match against a very strong Russian team from Moscow (who later lost in the finals to the team from Houston). Up until that point, I had not sustained any injuries or marks from our hundreds of games that we played over the course of the 4-day tournament, but in this particular game my wingman who was behind me to provide cover was "killed" and left my backside vulnerable to attack from the opposing team. The welts in the photo was the result. These "souvenirs" will eventually fade and be gone in another week, and thankfully don't leave any permanent scars. But it made me wonder...how many of you have your own "souvenirs" on your body as reminders to something that happened to you in the past?
29 people like this
32 responses
@xFiacre (12500)
• Ireland
16 Nov 18
@moffittjc Does a vasectomy scar count?
5 people like this
@xFiacre (12500)
• Ireland
16 Nov 18
@moffittjc Just a minute one and no, I'm not going to upload a photo.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 18
@xFiacre Thank God! For a second there, I thought I was in for a peep show. You know, once you see something like that, you can never unsee it again! haha
3 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 18
Yes, scars from any medical procedure would count. Wait...you get a scar from that? Another reason I'm glad I'm not snipped!
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323042)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Nov 18
Wow, and you do this for fun? But I think I've queried this before.
5 people like this
@vandana7 (98418)
• India
17 Nov 18
He is crazy..
4 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
Yes, I do this for fun, but I am pursuing a career in the pros. So, it's fun AND business. It's fun now, but if I make the pros, then it's all business! haha
5 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@vandana7 I tried to tell you Vanny....
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (453773)
• Switzerland
17 Nov 18
This game sounds too dangerous for me. I have a big scar on my right arm, it reminds me that I broke my elbow when I was a kid, a doctor made a big mistake and I had a serious surgery to recover an almost broken tendon.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (453773)
• Switzerland
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc I usually wear long sleeve to avoid to talk about my scar. I was only 6 when this happened, I was unable to use my arm during two years and it was a traumatizing experience.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@LadyDuck I'm sorry Anna that it was so traumatizing to you. I can understand how it would be that way having to experience it at the tender age of 6.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
My biggest fear about doctors and hospitals is the chance that they will make a mistake that could end up maiming or killing you. I'm glad that you were able to get your arm fixed even though it left a scar. I think scars make interesting conversation, because there is always a story behind how the person got the scar. Paintball, at least at the level I play, is a very safe sport. There were 600 teams at the World Cup, which equates to about 5000 players, and there was not one serious injury during the 4-day tournament. There were bumps, bruises, scrapes and a few twisted ankles, but nobody had to be treated or hospitalized for broken bones or other serious injuries.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (92921)
• Marion, Ohio
17 Nov 18
I dont like to have welts like that, ouch!!! Not my kind of fun.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (92921)
• Marion, Ohio
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc That would be a good lesson not to let your guard down
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@wolfgirl569 My guard was up, just not focused on what was going on behind me. My wingman (my teammate who was supposed to watch my back) got killed, which left me vulnerable. By the time I realized it, I was a goner.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
Fortunately, it doesn't happen to me very often. I almost made it through the entire 4-day tournament without getting any welts. I guess I let me guard down a little at the end when this happened.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
16 Nov 18
I have several scars from operations.
3 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (98795)
• Canada
16 Nov 18
I have a big scar down my chest as a reminder of my heart attack and open heart surgery.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 18
My favorite aunt has a big scar down her chest from her open heart surgery several years ago. One of my co-workers also just had open heart surgery, but he hasn't returned to work yet, so I haven't seen his scar. I can imagine that every time you look at that scar you are ever so thankful to be alive! How have you been? I haven't talked to you in a while. You doing ok?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 18
@MALUSE I have a few minor scars from small surgeries, but nothing major.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (98795)
• Canada
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc yes it is a reminder of all I have been through and how thankful I am to have been given a second chance. I am doing well. I went through a rough patch for a while but I am feeling much better now.
1 person likes this
@flapiz (22403)
• United Kingdom
28 Dec 18
I wonder why people like hurting themselves? I always tell this to my friends who love paintball. I’d rather just paint a ball.
1 person likes this
@flapiz (22403)
• United Kingdom
31 Dec 18
@moffittjc Oh come on don’t tell me those marks were painless?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Jan 19
@flapiz Yes, there was tremendous pain when I received those marks. But it was quick pain. Due to all the adrenalin pumping through my body during our games, the pain quickly fades and you end up forgetting about it until later when you take off your clothes and see all the marks! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Dec 18
Well, we don't like hurting ourselves. That is why I work so hard to be great at the sport, so that I don't get hurt! haha
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
16 Nov 18
those welds there look pretty serious to me.do they go away?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 18
Yes, they go away. The photo was taken right after our loss in the quarter-final match. That was last Sunday. The welts are gone from my back, but I do still have some black and blue marks that are still visible. In another 3 days or so, everything should be healed up nicely.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@ramapo17 Oh no, i'm a big baby when it comes to pain. I have a very low pain threshold. You should see me when I get pricked by a needle at the doctor! haha
@ramapo17 (30457)
• Melbourne, Florida
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc So, you are one of those people that like pain, huh!!!! I wondered about you.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
Ouch! That looks painful!~
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
Believe it or not, it is only painful for a little while after it happens. Usually, you don't feel it when it happens on the field due to the high amount of adrenaline, but after the game when your body starts to relax then you notice all your injuries. But the pain goes away fast and the welts heal themselves pretty quickly.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@sol_cee I have no idea what a ventosa massage is, but if it feels good, please sign me up! Will you be my masseuse?
2 people like this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc at first I thought you had a ventosa massage.
2 people like this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
18 Nov 18
Our younger son used to do paintball, but never had those welts. Ouch! I recently wrote about the new scar I may wind up with on my face. Otherwise, nothing.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Nov 18
@DianneN You will be healed up and looking good in no time, don't you worry!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
20 Nov 18
@moffittjc The stitch comes out tomorrow. I can’t even look in the mirror.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
19 Nov 18
@moffittjc Thanks for the info. I had no idea. One bandaid fell off, but my stitch is still covered by a piece of tape. I hope it stays on through tomorrow, because I'm going to be out and about most of the day - in public! I hope the stitch can be taken out on Tuesday. I don't want to have to look at it. I get queasy about these things.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11278)
• United States
26 Nov 18
Ouch, that looks painful!! You will have to put on a padded vest to enter those tournaments just to protect yourself, are those allowed?? I didn't know those paintballs hit so hard on ones body.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Nov 18
The rules are very strict when it comes to clothing and padding in paintball tournaments. They even go so far as to determine how thick any padding or layers of clothing can be. The point is so as not to be able to cheat and create a soft barrier on your body that would prevent the paintballs from breaking. You are allowed a total of two layers on your body during a tournament, one of which is your uniform. The other can be thin padding, but most tournament players just wear a long-sleeve t-shirt under their uniform.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Nov 18
@cintol They want to prevent cheating. If you wear thick clothing or pads, it makes it harder for the paintballs to break and splatter when they hit you. The referees want to be able to see the paint splatter when you get hit so that they know you are out.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11278)
• United States
27 Nov 18
@moffittjc So they want you to be in pain at these things?! Or is it so that you can feel when you get hit? I don't know, I couldn't do it, I get enough bruises just cleaning house, don't think I would want extras from being hit and put in pain.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (115449)
• United States
17 Nov 18
I have souvenirs from having my appendix and gallbladder removed.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
I'm sure the scars are pretty small. Or at least I hope they are. Medical science should be advanced enough to perform minimally invasive surgeries these days.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (115449)
• United States
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc The GB one is huge. About 8 inches and across my torso. It is a good thing my bikini days are behind me. The appendectomy one is probably 4 inches.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@NJChicaa I remember my mom had a huge scar from the removal of her GB as well. I was wondering if the procedure has changed since decades past and they have come up with a way to remove it without leaving such huge scars. And besides, scars aren't something to be ashamed of! They are visible reminders of some tough sh*t you went through and survived! And you workout, so I'm willing to bet you still have a bikini body to show off!
2 people like this
@nela13 (55646)
• Portugal
21 Nov 18
I never though paintball was a dangerous sport
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 18
It really isn't as dangerous as it sounds. The marks on my body healed quickly. We have plenty of required safety equipment that we must wear to ensure our safety.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Nov 18
@nela13 Yes, I had on the safety equipment. It is mandatory in tournament play. However, there are some places on your body that is not completely protected by the safety equipment. As you can see from the photo, I got shot in one of the few places I didn't have padding on.
1 person likes this
@nela13 (55646)
• Portugal
21 Nov 18
@moffittjc did you wear the safety equipment?
1 person likes this
• New Baltimore, Michigan
5 Mar 19
Those marks all over your back, do you know I just randomly get them around my waist for absolutely no reason at all? Sometimes I'll get about 50 of them. I've gone to the doctor, a couple doctors, and they don't know what they are either. They last about a week, and then they go away. Yours are obviously from the tournament (or some secret S&M play that got out of control) but mine have no explanation at all. Some type of allergy (?)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Mar 19
Is it only around your waist that you get them, and nowhere else? That does seem kind of odd. Do you wear your pants to tight, or maybe your belt is digging into your skin causing the marks? Or are you getting bitten by something in your sleep? Nothing is more frustrating than when you have something going on with your body and nobody can figure out why. I hope you eventually solve the mystery!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Mar 19
@Melanie_Marie Not scared, but intrigued. Could it be some sort of hives that you get when you eat a certain type of food, or could you break out due to nervousness or anxiety?
1 person likes this
• New Baltimore, Michigan
7 Mar 19
@moffittjc Hi Jeff, 99% of them are around my waist, and then sometimes I'll get one on my arm, or one on my forehead. Doctors have confirmed that they are not bites, because when I go to the doctor's office, I'll usually present with about 10 of them (all around my waist)...and then while the doc is just sitting there and inspecting them while I'm holding up my shirt and feeling like a total idiot, more and more of them start to appear, right before the doctor's eyes. They just start coming out of nowhere. The doctors seem to think they are "coming from within"...like my own body is producing them. Some kind of evil trying to escape.. You scared?
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61103)
• United States
17 Nov 18
Ouch!!! Just plain ouch!!!! I have my hysterectomy scar, the little pock marks from the gall bladder removal, and the arthritis in the ankle I broke four years ago (which you can only see when I'm hobbling).....
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61103)
• United States
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc — that’s the way it is when you play miniature golf professionally, too. We don’t try to inflict damage on each other (unless someone takes a 5 or 6 on an easy hole, then caps will fly!).
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@FourWalls You made me laugh with that one! Just what I needed when I've been cooped up sick the past couple of days.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48786)
• United States
18 Nov 18
I have a scar from my C-section.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48786)
• United States
18 Nov 18
@moffittjc mine is rather long. It runs fron my navel down instead of across. It was an emergency c-section.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Nov 18
@Tampa_girl7 Oh, I didn't realize a C-section incision could go horizontal or vertical. I always thought that they were just horizontal.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Nov 18
Aren't doctors pretty good about minimizing the scars from C-sections? I had always envisioned a great big scar running all the way across a woman's stomach, but that is not really the case, is it?
1 person likes this
@ramapo17 (30457)
• Melbourne, Florida
17 Nov 18
Wow, I never knew there was a paintball tournament and never that close to here. I am sure you had a great time and will do it again. The pain wears away but the memories will stay with you forever.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
There is a really great paintball field close to where you live called Invincibles. I've played there a few times. It's a really neat layout.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Nov 18
@ramapo17 Near Melbourne I believe.
@ramapo17 (30457)
• Melbourne, Florida
20 Nov 18
@moffittjc Is that in Melbourne or near Cocoa Beach?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (39965)
• Laguna Woods, California
18 Nov 18
Ouch! Those look painful. I usually just have bruises from bumping into things. I can be a klutz sometimes! LOL
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Nov 18
They looked worse than they actually were. Since the photo was taken right after the game, the welts were "fresh." By the time I got home that night they had mostly gone down and only some black and blue marks were left.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 18
@DeborahDiane Yes, everything is back to normal now. Welts gone, and bruises gone.
1 person likes this
• Laguna Woods, California
19 Nov 18
@moffittjc - Wow! I'm glad they have gone away quickly, however.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18663)
• United States
22 Jan 19
I have a scar on my butt when I had surgery when I had a boil on my butt. I think I also have a scar when I feel down a cliff when I was about nine or ten years old.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jan 19
I never heard of anyone getting a boil on their butt before. That's a new one to me! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Jan 19
@JESSY3236 I can only imagine how bad it must have hurt. Hopefully that pain is behind you now.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18663)
• United States
25 Jan 19
@moffittjc it was horrible. I couldn't hardly walk either.
1 person likes this
@porwest (77971)
• United States
17 Nov 18
Seems like self inflicted torture. I'm out.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
You should see the torture I unleash on my opponents! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (117990)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Nov 18
@porwest Ok, that was a little bit of bragging, but I do consider myself a pretty good player.
1 person likes this
@porwest (77971)
• United States
18 Nov 18
@moffittjc lol. I bet.
1 person likes this