“My” monkey bar was not this nice.
I’d done it before. Climbed up and sat on that metal bar. I’d grasp either side with my hands and then throw myself forward. The idea was to end up swaying upside down by my knees, wind ruffling hair and fingers ruffling air.
The kid didn’t believe I could do this trick. I’d show him. So after school between bus runs (we had two buses, and each ran two routes), I climbed, sat, and fell forward.
I don’t remember the fall or the splat of my back against the ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw him standing over me.
“Wowww!” he said.
This is where you pretend it was all part of the act. Like when I dropped my baton, and it bounced back into my hand. You don’t want anyone to know you flubbed up. (I won that talent competition, though my mom always said it was a mistake and that I should have won the swimsuit portion.)
Somehow I stood and staggered down the sidewalk toward the front of the school while holding my stomach. I managed a barely audible chuckle.
I couldn’t breathe, and I needed to find a place to be alone, a place to recover. Maybe a place to die.
Dear God, don’t let me die.
Because that’s what going splat or landing flat feels like.
Having the air knocked out of you, falling and failing—that’s what it feels like.
Death.
Still breathing,
Sandy
Linking with Lisa Jo and community on the word prompt, fall.
wow, great story.
I love when writers go back and share from their early days and to see all you remember…the details you remember. It’s always nice to go back in time with you. What a great post on this word fall. Thank you for sharing. Blessings, Beth.
Dear Sandra
Oh, we are all the same!! I think I would have done exactly the same. As I was reading your words, I started humming that song of Queen, Great Pretender! I think our Pappa God has good chuckles there in heaven at all the things we do here on earth, just shaking His head.
Much love XX
Mia
Well, just to make you feel better, when I was in grade school I did that thing where you jump off the swing while you’re in forward motion…only my panties somehow got hooked on the swing and ripped off of me as I jumped.
And, I never did figure out how to do the monkey bars either.
So, there you go, you should feel better about yourself now. 🙂
Why is it falling hurts so much more when we’re older – I was trying to learn how to use a boogie board at the beach – and I experienced that “splat’ with MUCH amusement by my boys – because falling just didn’t hurt as much at their age – but , oh, how i wanted to just find a quiet placed to recover and regain my dignity and let the hurt just ebb away!
However, I think that’s what we’re supposed to do with our kids, show them how to get back up when we splat and just want to crawl away – we have to show them how to stand!
loved. loved. loved your post!
Marhleigh