Night School-The Aftermath
Just a quick update to my earlier post. As some of you may know, I am gracefulness-challenged. Well, now my entire class knows, too.
With my hip and back issues, I find sitting in school desks for extended periods to be pure torture. I have surprised teachers and other students by bounding up out of my seat to stand in the back of the class, when I just can’t take it anymore. Labs are usually easier on me because I can get up and move around and don’t have to use the rolling, spinning death-trap chairs that typically populate such labs. This evening was an exception, there was more paperwork than legwork to do tonight. So I sat in the rolling, spinning death-trap to fill out my papers and then got up to hand them to the teacher.
Now this is where it gets weird. As I stood, I must have moved the seat a quarter-turn and pulled my jacket of the back of the chair. The seat itself was in the wrong position when I sat down, so I stood on the footrest so I could swing the seat back under me. But my jacket got caught and my purse fell off the back (important in just a second). Somehow I lost my footing or more correctly, my sitting and tumbled backwards off the chair. I could’ve saved myself from complete humiliation, but then I tripped backwards over my purse! I ended up full-splayed, spread-eagle on my back on the floor.
As usual there were gasps of horror and shouts of “Are you alright?!” I said what I always say, “I’m fine, this happens all the time.” And, “My husband is going to laugh when he hears about this.” For the record, there is no graceful way to get up off the floor after you have taken such a fall, not when you’re on your back. Fall forward and you can use your hands to push up off the floor; full-splay flat on your back and the best you can hope for is clambering up. Which is a darn sight better than just rolling back and forth like a turtle on its shell, desperately trying to build up enough momentum to spring to your feet. So I did what any self-respecting klutz would do, I sprung up and put my arms up in the air, just like the gymnasts at the Olympics.
One lady tried to comfort me by telling me the rest of the class would forget all about it long before I would, but I find that unlikely in the extreme. I told her, “Don’t underestimate the staying-power of being the girl who fell.” And I meant it, do you think you could forget it if someone fell out of their chair in front you? Didn’t think so. Hopefully, next class time won’t be quite so exciting.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I’m sorry sweetie! I’ve had similar episodes myself. I have to say though, I’d rather be humiliated that hurt my already messed up back. I’m glad you’re okay!
January 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Amen to what Kari said.
And I always feel bad for Keith when this stuff happens. The other day, I was minding my own business, getting into the car when I full-on smacked my face into the top of the door. I gave myself a fat lip. As usual, people blamed Keith and no one believes me when I say, “No, really. I’m just a huge klutz.” until they see it in action for themselves. They always do.
One time, a doctor was questioning me…well, interrogation would be a better word. I got so upset that I attempted to storm out and walked into the edge of the door. He then said, “Okay. I see what you mean. Never mind.”
January 12th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I had an episode like that in December…. but of course there was tequila involved. LOL.