I Have An Owie

I totally biffed it while out on a run this morning. The sun was in my eyes and my brain was somewhere far beyond the here and now, when an elevated section of sidewalk became my downfall. What crossed my mind as I stumbled forward: "I think I'm falling " and then, "But I don't fall down!" Like I'm wayyyyy too grown up for that. However, after a few attempts to recover, it turned out that, yes, I was only delaying the oncoming sidewalk for a few paltry seconds. Hands went out, right elbow and knee went down. I did a slight roll, jumped back up and kept on going. Yeah, I meant to do that! Shut up!

I do hope someone was gazing out their window, coffee in hand, and got their morning snicker.

I've never done that. On a run, that is. And it's been quite a while since just a good flat-out tumble. As my hands dermabrasioned themselves across the cement my mind had flashes of the Riveria Elementary playground and picking gravel out of bloody palms after a frantic game of boys-chase-girls or a fall off the jungle gym. It leapt from there to seeing a college friend's bloody leg after she had come in from a run on a very late, rainy night. She ran with compulsion and without fear and took the blood and pain that night with a grim satisfaction. Much later I realized she had an eating disorder among other self-abuse problems. Funny how physical sensations can take you places you haven't thought of for a long, long time.