Disbelief

I had shut off the grinder head, but it was still in spin as I lifted it to check the condition of the wheel. I brought my hand close to the wheel, waiting for it to stop but already seeing signs of it breaking apart irregularly. Then something came off of the wheel and sent a flash of searing pain through the little finger of my right hand. It only hurt for an instant. I withdrew my hand and saw a tiny piece of metal sticking out of my finger. I get slivers all the time at work. In fact I was glad to see a piece sticking out well enough for me to easily remove the sliver. As I pulled it out, my amazement grew. I removed a two and a half inch sliver of metal from my finger. Hardly any blood. I doused the hole in isopropyl alcohol and went back about my business. Of course my finger is now very bruised, a little swollen, and hurts when use it.