Member-only story
Hi, I’m Smilin’ Jay McDowell
Let me introduce myself
“What are you always smiling about?”
I was ten years old, playing on the playground, and Bobby Beeler came at me with the question. I’d never really thought about it before. Why WAS I always smiling? I’ve always been optimistic, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and moving through life with a cheerful outlook. There is constant music going on in my brain. The only way I can describe it is to say it’s like “cartoon music.” Some feel such a thing would torture them, but I have never looked at it that way. I just roll through life with a sunny disposition.
The crazy thing is that I am also in constant pain. I was born with a major case of Pectus Excavatum. My sternum was not fully formed, giving nothing for my ribs to connect to. I could touch my shoulders together, actually folding my body in half. This “party trick” made all the girls scream.
Doctors examined me when I was little and advised that we keep an eye on it as I grew. Starting at about age twelve, I had a series of major surgeries. Over the years, the surgeons cut into my chest to create scar tissue. This would act as a sternum, giving the ribs something to “grab onto.” A metal bar was added for stability, providing another party trick. I could hang refrigerator magnets to the sides of my chest, and they would…
