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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

On the Edge of my Seat

So I'm sitting here, and I will be for the next couple of days, though even that is painful. Pierre says I should have known better, at my age (he really did, he likes to live dangerously, that husband of mine.)

Arthur, six, offered to teach me to skate board yesterday. He had me sit on the steps of the garage while he demonstrated, and then it was my turn. Wee! Just like when I was seven and the champion of the downhill skateboard race in the neighborhood. I took a few tentative passes around the garage floor and it felt good. I then tried the drop from the step I had been sitting on, cool. Easy stuff. Then Arthur gave me a detailed lesson on "dropping" off the edge of the little, tiny, baby-sized ramp the kids use to bike and skate on.

He told me over and over that you had to hold the board at a certain angle and then "put all your weight forward, if not you will slip, and it's really slippery, like really." He made it look easy, and fun enough to tempt me. Fool! "No fool like an old fool!" My mind may think my body can do this, but my mind is no longer six and fearless. My mind, somewhere in there, knows better. I held the board, shifted my weight forward and dropped, right onto the cement floor on a sensitive part, the board merrily flying across the way free of me. Guess I was holding a large part of me back. Ouch.

The moral of the story; what you may be able to do with ease could be a lot less comfortable, simple or even doable for your child. I will dwell on this each time I sit down (ever so gingerly) for the rest of the week.

11 comments:

  1. hello Me CHENUS
    je vois que vous testez vos chevilles avec le skate. Trés bonne idée quoique
    dangereuse ; "qui ne tente rien n'a rien". En esperant que votre ainée se porte bien ainsi que votre famille.
    Amitiés
    "un kiné des Landes"

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  2. Well, you are. you know a child at heart, wishing you a speedy recovery. cheers Marie

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  3. My mother did something similar once, jumping off a wall because she saw one of her granddaughters doing it. She hurt her knees very badly!

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  4. anonymous but not too !
    heureux de me voir dans vos commentaires.
    A un de ces jours sur la toile ou ailleurs.
    P.S:je travaille mon anglais avec votre blog et c'est pas évident§
    faudeux40@hotmail.com

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  5. Dear Angela,
    I remember one day I was in Debuque,Iowa, whereas I was waiting the D-Day of your wedding.
    I was looking after 3 charming noisy boys, who wanted to teach me how to play hockey on roller skates.. I remember the cold weather and pavement.
    Just to tell you I keep this pain burning in my memory...
    Amitiés from France
    Stéphanie

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  6. Mon Dieu, that sounds paaaaiinnnfulll. Wishes for a speedy recovery.

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  7. Mr.le Kine,

    Si j'ai honte de maltraiter la cheville que vous avez si bien soigner!

    Cela fut super de faire la connaissance de vous et de votre epouse si gentille.

    Merci d'avoir ecrit, a bientot via les ondes.

    Angela

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  8. Hi Marie,

    "A child in my mind" is more like it! Thank you for the kind thoughts, it really was pretty silly, looking back on it, sigh.

    Enjoy your springtime,

    Angela

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  9. Oh Eva,

    That's a bummer. It is no fun to figure out that our bodies are no longer keeping up with our wishes!

    That's why the elderly enjoy sitting in the park and watching the little ones...much safer, I've decided.

    Thanks for writing,

    Angela

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  10. Stephanie,

    You made me laugh! I know those boys, I bet they had such fun with you.

    It is so nice to hear from you, you'll have to come visit the Midwest sometime again soon with your sweet kids (can you believe we both have our own now?)

    Hugs to all,

    Angela

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  11. Hope you feel better! Your child saw you be a child and that is all that matters.

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