Falling, falling...falling

"Be careful on the ice.......AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaah!"

Thinking as I fall: Save the baby! Save the baby! Don't put your hand back to catch yourself!"

After the fall: "Don't put your hand back to catch yourself? Where did I get that from?"

Later it ocurred to me that these words of wisdom were remembered from a skating party I went to in elementary. Yeah, a skating party! Part of the "party" was some skating tutorials from a really freakishly tall lady in extremely thick tan sparkly pantyhose who made us practice over and over learning how to fall on our butts without trying to catch ourselves with our wrists. She informed us, "Broken or sprained wrists are the number one injury in roller skating." This, of course, is due to people reaching back to catch themselves as they fall. She reminded us that our butts are designed to catch us, hence the extra padding, therefore, we should let the butt do the work. You were not allowed to leave the tutorial to go free skate until you showed her that you could fall from a standing positiong without using your hands to catch you. This is harder than it sounds.

Why I remembered that today, I have no clue. But in came in handy because my wrists are safe and sound, with only a bruise on my bum to prove that slid off the porch as I was leaving work today. (Oh yeah, and I did, indeed, save the baby!)

Thank you freakishly tall lady in the extremely thick tan sparkly tights!