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okay for some reason a moment from when I was in junior high has been on my mind lately.
It's possible I've mentioned it before, but since I've been thinking about it, I'm gonna bring it up now.
See, in junior high, I thought it might be possible for me to find a way to fit in, as I was now more actively engaged in my life, recovering from my "dead kid" phase.
So I looked into athletics.
Now I wasn't strong, fast, or really all that coordinated, so this was a bit of a faint hope, but there is one athletic endeavor I thought I could master - track and field,
So I signed up for an upcoming event in the only race I could - an endurance race. I think it was roughly a mile in distance, but that part of my memory is vague.
Anyway, while waiting for race day, I also had an opportunity to try hurdles, and though maybe if I practiced, I might get the idea and be able to be successful.
So I set up a makeshift hurdle course, using chairs as the hurdles.
Unfortunately, the first time I tried my course, I managed to trip over the first chair, and break my arm.
Despite this, I still wanted to do the endurance race, and so lined up at the start, cast on my arm and all.
It didn't take very long to me to end up in 7th place, which was sad as there were only 7 competitors.
despite this, I kept going, ignoring the growing pain in my arm, the burning of my lungs, or the loudness of my heartbeat, and somehow, managed to finish the race, although significantly behind the others.
And because the system they were using only posted the top 6 times, I can't even say how long I took.
And as nobody at the track bothered to even congratulate me for at least finishing, I quietly slipped away.
Only one person actually mentioned the race the following school day, my social studies teacher who sounded amazed that I had ran with my arm in a cast, making me blush.
I'm not sure what has brought this moment back for me, but there it is, for whatever it's worth.
Comments
Hugs
I'm glad you got some recognition for the feat, hon.
Good on that teacher who noticed.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Junior High
Fun story Dorothy. Junior high (middle school) was such a painful time for so many of us. Here's a hug for you.
Jr. high was the first time they made us "dress out" for gym class and take showers. I remember girls had to wear this funny little romper thing. I tried my sisters but could not figure it out, but that's a story for another time.
Any way. Boys wore reversible t-shirts and shorts. Red on one side and white on the other. Back then no one knew what "colorfast" meant. Of course the inevitable happened. my red gym shirt was white side out in the white wash with hot water. As easy as it was to make them all pink, there was no mixture of bleach or bluing would return them to white. I had pink y-fronts and undershirts for the rest of the year.
That did nothing to improve my reputation. I was already a geek and now I was a fairy geek too.
Good times. Good times.
Your friend
Crash
I'll say "Savor the memory".
You accidentally did to yourself, what the military/medical systems do to their recruits/intern doctors - push them beyond what any outsider/civilian thinks is sane or reasonable.
For the military, it's so when the enemy does come at them shooting, no matter how bad combat gets, they will think it's easier than boot camp - and they will carry on and prevail.
For the interns, now that they are doctors and that plane comes down in pieces, or when there is a hundred-vehicle chain crash, they know can handle it. (Many now question the wisdom of having the emergency room staffed by interns who have not slept in 36 hours...)
Your race didn't have the external drama of my examples, but you triumphed by pushing through and finishing the race. "Nevertheless, you Persisted."
You now have a reference point, a self-example. So at the end of some days you can say "Well, today {bleeped}, but it wasn't as bad as coming in last in that endurance race, and with a broken arm..."