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This is a PSA about "Cactuses and throwing them at people" or "Throwing people at cactuses" and how fucking stupid that is. Don’t do it.

Don’t fuck with cactuses!

When I was young I worked across the lobby from the lady running the souvenir shop. I would go in and browse the merchandise, and we would chat a little.

I met her husband. I met her adult children.

She was a nice lady and I was always glad to see her.

I saw her one day unloading the tall rolling rack they used to move the new plants to the plant sale shelves. I even stopped by to see that she was moving these super cute little cactuses in small terracotta pots. I told her to be careful she didn’t poke herself. She laughed and showed her hand where I didn’t see anything and said that she’d already poked herself with the first one.

We laughed and I told her to make sure she washed her hands with soap.

It was the start of Memorial Day weekend. The shop was going to be closed until Tuesday.

She wasn’t there on Tuesday. Wasn’t there Wednesday. And when I saw her on Thursday her hand was heavily bandaged, likely to keep the wound clean.

She’d washed her hand, but it wasn’t enough. The cactus spine went deep into her skin. And the spine tip was dirty with–dust, dirty water residue, previous victims–whatever.

Her finger started to swell on Friday night. Just a bit of puffiness around the puncture point. Saturday evening it started to get big. Sunday it was turning colors. Monday was Memorial Day.

She could have gotten her wound tended at the local emergency clinic but it was a holiday weekend. Most everything was closed starting on Friday… including the local clinic.

The hospital was 82 miles away. They had family events planned for the whole weekend, including a trip to the beach. She didn’t want to ruin everybody’s fun.

By the time I saw her, they’d had to cut a chunk out of her finger to stop the raging staph infection. If it had been allowed to go another day, she would have lost her entire finger. Maybe her life.

So to see people "Haha, just stand there while I do this awful thing to you!"-throwing cactuses at their "friends"…

It sicks me right out.

You don’t need enemies when you have shitty friends like that.

If they’re acting out of malice, you don’t need them in your life. They are an enemy that has yet to show their true face. A snake snuggling close to you, waiting to laugh at your misfortunes while leading you into more.

If they’re acting out of ignorance you’re still just as damaged, but they can be taught better. They won’t do something to knowingly hurt you, so all you have to do is mention the dangers of cactuses and they won’t stab you with one. They want to have fun, not really hurt you. Sometimes you just happen to get hurt around them when you let their ignorant ideas lead the group.

There are some people that you love to love. They are funny and outgoing and they seem to bring a brightness to the room.

Sometimes they grow out of their charm, and that’s a natural process. Sometimes the charm wears thin, and you find out they weren’t that great in the first place. Sometimes they use charm to replace common sense and they become a danger to themselves and others.

There are some people that you drift apart from as you realize that your life and health are important to you.

People that fuck around with cactuses?

They are a danger to themselves and others.

Plus they’re hurting the cactuses and that’s not right.