August 13, 2007

There's no need to keep proving I'm the geek of your lifetime, but here you go...

After cheering and crying during the final ceremony of the Chicago Breat Cancer 3 Day Walk, and hugging my friend who had just crossed the finish line...I started my lovely 20 min stroll back to my car. The loudspeakers started playing the closing number from the musical "hairspray" and I was bopping along down the path singing along and dancing a little as I walked...and I bopped right off the path...and fell. I stepped down weird on my ankle and heard it pop and then I rolled up like a pill bug...I'd like to think it was either graceful or ninja-like...but, i don't have much hope of either since I for some reason was yelling the word "okay" while I fell, as if someone had just run up and said, "Alaina, wanna fall?! It's Super FUN!!"...and I responded, "OKAY!" Women who could barely stand anymore ran over to see if I was hurt...EMBARRASSING! These people completed 60 miles and I couldn't complete 20 feet. That's when I started laughing.

I feel like stupid injuries should, out of fairness, be far less painful then other injuries that you really earn--like in sports. I mean, it's one thing to have to explain that you hurt your ankle wrestling a bear off of a baby...it's another to have to say "I was singing, and fell off of a path". That's just stupid. However, the world is not fair, and does not give you pity points for stupidity...and therefore, my ankle hurt quite a bit. Man, I hate being in pain in front of people. I really hate it. So, now I've got 3 women above me wondering if I'm okay, and I'm laughing this creepy "I'm in so much pain" laugh that sounds more like I'm just saying the word "HA!....HA!....HA! HA!...HA!" over and over. I take my foot and place it down over the other one as if I just decided to take it easy for a second, and in this very odd 'trying not to sound like I'm in pain but really just sound like a crazy car salesman' voice I say, "Hey! I'm doing great! thanks for stopping! I'm just gonna sit here for a minute. But, have a grrrrreat day!"

I waited until they were all gone. Then slowly began to poke at my ankle then slowly rotate it and flex it back and forth. Although it hurt, I knew it wasn't broken and I needed to try to put some weight on it...WHY DID I PARK SO FAR AWAY?!?! If I could make it out of the park I could get a cab. I had a plan of attack. But, after standing up, my ankle felt weird more than painful...thank you, endorphins! So, I decided to walk it out. By the time I was half way back to my car, I was convinced that it was going to be completely fine. When I got home and bent down to take off my shoe...I was startled by how big it was. My stupid ankle looked like it had a golf ball shoved inside it and was starting to turn blue-ish. And, now that those endorphins have worn off, I'm positive that there is no way on earth I was ninja-like. Ugh. Do me a favor, If anyone asks you about it, tell them the ol' bear and the baby story, ok?

- Alaina

Has it happened to you? Don't feel it's that geeky? Want to defend yourself? E-mail me and we'll post your thoughts.