The end is near

The term is almost over. Classes one more day, then we get to see the Advanced Course's final presentations tomorrow night, then we have one-on-one conferences with the school founder and present our final group Creations on Friday. Today, as you may recall, were our Acrobatics presentations...

Anticlimax ahead.

Yesterday morning I fell awkwardly on my neck yet again. How many times I've done this now I've lost count. Besides my deficit in physical skill, I must not be communicating very clearly. Either that or I'm not being picky enough in choosing my spotters. (Frankly, I think it's the latter.) As on Saturday when I fell hard on my shoulder, yesterday I'd explained to a classmate beforehand what I didn't want to happen--what I wanted his help in preventing--and the support I hoped I wouldn't need (but did) came too little and too late. When I fall, I fall fast. And hard. And, I'd guess, not too gracefully.

In a word: Ouch. Though that's not the word I said at the time.

I had called the London School of Osteopathy on Monday to try to get an appointment to have my shoulder looked at. I was to go in yesterday afternoon. That was fortunate. Now I had yet another sore spot to add to my litany of injuries--right shoulder, left knee, right hip, right elbow, and now the neck again. As I write this, I have a pack of frozen peas lashed to my neck with a tea towel. When the osteopath took notes on my history, he must have felt like he was writing a novel, probably a comic one. And after examining my shoulder and neck (there simply wasn't time in an hour-and-a-half appointment to get to all my sore spots--how telling is that) he told me in no uncertain terms that I really shouldn't try the Acrobatics routine this morning. So of our class of 21--and as far as I know, of our total first-year class of 45 or so--I was the only one who sat out. To prevent bodily damage I injured my pride. So it goes. Instead I became the designated videographer and occasional spotter for others.

To be sure, I wasn't looking forward to doing the Acrobatics routine today. Dreading it is probably a more accurate reflection. But still, I had the adrenaline build-up, and then came the let-down. Why do the body, mind, and emotions combine to play such games?

I do hope to be able to fully participate in Acro next term. I AM going to master this headstand. And the handstand is still in my sights. And so is a flexible and functional neck.