Old Lady Daily

About six years ago I hurt my right knee. It’s amazing the damage I’ve done to that leg. The other one too. But right now I want to talk about my right knee. It happened during the first half of a soccer game. The ball was in our opponent’s half, our defenders (I played right wing on defence) were at half field, pounding the ball back whenever it happened to stray near. That D line was probably the best I’ve ever played on. Anyway, the other team finally managed to boot the ball over us down into our half. It was coming right, so I ran back, some girl at my back trying to shoulder her way passed me. As it turns out, the field was about as crappy as we’d anticipated. I found a pothole. I found it the way you do not want to find a pothole. While running. Yup, stepped in it and heard my knee crack. Stupidly, I kept running and somehow, the girl behind me was still behind me. About two steps later, my knee cracks again. Did I stop? No. What’s her face was still behind me (who knew we ran equally slow!). By the time the ball crossed our back line, my knee had cracked again and the ref called a goal kick. So it was our ball anyway.

After about a year’s worth of complaining, I finally got some treatment. A brace with laces and Velcro and springs oh my! It was kind of funny because when I’d wear it my right leg would disappear. With the shin guards, the brace and my shorts, no skin was visible. WOOHOO! Only one leg to shave in the summer! I shaved both, but I could have gotten away with it.

Not the same brand and not my leg, but the same concept. Horrible pun.

And this relates to my present how? Well, I shall tell you. Ever since that injury, I’ve discovered that one of my personalities is an eighty year old woman who suffers joint pains. When it’s cold outside, like a dry kind of cold, my knee aches. I don’t even have to be outside. It just feels like the bones are out of place (which they are) and moving awkwardly and grinding against each other. Stupid patella! But my point is, I didn’t particularly want to go to my meetings today and my knee was all crampy and grindy as soon as I got out the door. Got to love that zero degree weather.

I was dreading my meetings because I seem to have been challenged to a game of either wits or wills. I haven’t figured it out yet. I don’t like mind games. I avoid them. I prefer talking openly and accommodating people. Not the case with my would-be foe. Unfortunately, this is bringing to light traits I try to suppress. Oddly enough, my parents are encouraging me to “play the game”. Well, good enough for me! I have parental endorsement! It’s crushing time! (Notice I said ‘crushing’ and not ‘clobbering’. That would be copyright infringement and I do not look like a giant cheese curd.)

Lauren.