When I was a kid, probably 6 or 7 years old, I had this giant metal see-saw. I mean when I was a kid it looked huge, it had these big handlebars on the sides that probably came up to around my waist if I were standing next to it.
At some point I got it in my head that I could jump over that thing. And I did, several times. I’d boast about it to my neighborhood friends, they’d say it’s not possible, and then I’d jump it and they’d all be pretty impressed.
But one time – the last time – I jumped over it, there was nobody around. It was just me, goofing off in the yard. And I jumped over it, and my foot snagged the handlebar, and I hit the ground hard. Right on my knee.
It hurt, and I was bruised, but I think my ego was more wounded than my knee that day. I stayed away from jumping over large objects after that.
Well when I was in my teens, my knee started acting up, and after a while I realised it was that knee I landed on all those years ago. That was really the only thing I could ever connect it to – it may not even be connected to it at all but I’ve always wondered if I did something to it when I landed. It’s never really bothered me enough to find out for sure.
It comes and goes, it probably hasn’t hurt in a few years at this point, but the weather changed overnight and now it’s been aching all day. The worst was several years ago, I bought a knee brace that helped a TON back then and I’m hoping I won’t have to fish it out tonight.