brief snapshots in time. memories and thoughts. disorganized and random.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

bumpy landing

I have a lump on my head. I usually forget it's there. every once in a great while it hurts, and I'm reminded of how it got there.

I was in first grade. it was recess and I was swinging. one of the second graders gave me a (too hard) push. my swing went flying forward, too high.

I tumbled off. I landed on my head*.

this was before the days of sand under swingsets. it was pavement, the same black pavement that was the backdrop for the yellow lines of the tether ball circles and four square, well, squares.

it really hurt.

I was trying to be brave. the girl who pushed me was not the nicest. she would tease me if she saw me cry.

but I couldn't help it. tears welled up in my eyes. she looked at them, and her face went white.

she realized she'd caused them.

she ran over to me and quickly walked with me to the nurses office. she explained what happened. said it was all her fault. I managed through my sobs to insist it wasn't.

she left me to be mended by the nurse.

I'd like to say we became friends after that. but that was not the case. she was a nicer bully in the future, but I avoided her still years later when we played soccer together in high school. she remained not the nicest.

that bump will always remind me not to push anyone too hard. it's difficult to foresee when a little too much pushing might cause someone a bumpy landing. I'd rather not cause any more bumpy landings, I've had enough of my own.

* yes, feel free to insert the appropriate that explains a great deal about you joke here. sadly this was just the first (I think) of many head injuries...

4 comments:

Jeremy said...

Well here is to growing and learning from bumpy landings!

::Raises a glass of root beer, the Mormon Lager::

Cheers!

Susan said...

Ouch!

Valerie said...

Same thing happened to me in first grade. The only difference is that no body was pushing me. I was swinging very high and all of the sudden, I got this over whelming thought to just LET GO. So I did and there I go falling. I landed right underneath the swing on my back and all I could see was the swing swinging still in front ofmy face. I guess someone went to tell the teachers cuz the next thing I know, I'm being carried tot he nurse.

Another time in first grade, I was on the monkey bars and I hit my head sooooo hard, that a huge chunk of hair fell out. I still to this day have a bald spot. I hit my head so hard, I deadend the nerves and folicals.

I didn't cry either of those times. I guess I was used to my brother beating me up so it was't painful. ;) Acutally, I think I was just in complete shock to not cry.

Shananigans said...

I remember trying to not cry on the playground for fear of being teased. No fun, why are kids so mean? I have lots of scars from my childhood, but I like to think that means I lived dangerously ;)