Lil' Miss Clumsy

I have always been clumsy. Have been since I was a child. I've always managed to hurt myself in one way or another. I've fallen down stairs, fallen while going up stairs. Fallen in bath tubs, in the toilet.

During my growing up years, I lived in this bungalow on a hill (before the government decided to build a highway there.) We lived there till I was twelve. The area was quiet and there were big houses in the area. Anyway, every evening, I'd ride my bicycle on the road infront of my house with the kids living around there. The road was long, straight and not busy. Perfect for bicycle riding and racing.

One faithful evening, When I was 10 (I think? My memory fails me. I'm old) I was preparing to go ride my bike, I somehow managed to ride my bike, DOWN the driveway. The gate was locked. My bike had no brakes, even if it did, I wouldn't have been in the sound mind to actually use them. Everything happened so fast. The bike zoomed down the hill and I smashed into the gate. Ouch. Even at the tender age of ten, my ego was bruised as many of my friends were around to witness the event. They were concerned of course. I didn't cry, I just picked myself up, brushed the dirt off and smiled.

One would think I'd grow out of my clumsy ways as I age and become more graceful and ladylike. Think again.

I've fallen many times since.

There was this one time, I was standing on a piece of plank sitting on the top steps of my father's then, sundry shop. Half of the plank was on the steps, the other half hanging mid air. I stood in the middle, see-sawing on it. You can imagine what happened next. The plank fell off the steps and I fell with it. In broad daylight. I was in my early teens.

One rainy afternoon, I was sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive. When I saw the bus, I stood up and walked to the front of the bus stop to board the bus. I slipped and fell dirtying my pinafore, infront of all the people at the bus stop. I quickly stood up and got on the bus. I was 16.

I remember one occassion when I was going to the toilet to wash my hands. As I was walking in, one foot in the toilet the other outside, my foot slid on the floor and I fell down. Pretty much like how I fell in Malacca last weekend . I was 23.

If there's one thing I've learned, its that clumsiness does not improve with age.

In the past four days that I have been 25, I've fallen down twice. Not very promising if you ask me. Memalukan. The first time was when I was in Malacca for the weekend.

I was trying to get a pair of shorts out of a basin and at the same time, put a pair of pants in. While I was doing this, I stood on a slipper. My other foot was on the tile. The floor was wet, I forgot. Since I was just standing on the slipper instead of wearing it, I started to lose my ground and the slipper slid further and further away from me, all the while with me on it. I screamed, and was forced to do a split. Finally fell on my ass. There was a mixture of pain and embarrassment. Paiseh.

Today, I fell again. Was coming out after class. As I was stepping off the corridor to the sidewalk, I somehow managed to lose my balance, and my foot twisted itself and I almost fell. Managed to prevent myself from falling down and embarrassing myself again. I heard the guards ( read, GUARDS, there were many of them just standing around. pfftt) gasp in unison. I straightened my sandal, put it on and continued walking eventhough my foot was in pain. I didn't want to stop and check my foot cause I didn't wanna draw anymore attention to me than I already have.

Falling in public is bad for your self esteem. -_-*

My foot is still in pain. FYI, this is the same foot that lost it's footing :p in Malacca. Haih. Such a klutz.

Just read gi's post and I must say, I glad I'm just a klutz and not sputid.

~fin