today in the shower, my ankle started aching. I twisted it pretty hard last week, during a lunch break, when I was walking to a restaurant. I was wearing those huge black platform slides you see on all the girls today and since my ankles are weak as water, when I stepped on an uneven section of pavement, my right ankle chose to give out and I kind of stepped on the outer edge of my foot. it hurt for a sec, but I usually end up ignoring the pain so I can't remember how long it lasted. ever since then, though, my ankle will go in and out of shooting pains all around my foot. it makes me look forward to old age. oh well. at least I didn't fall on the sidewalk, I was able to keep walking when it happened. in fact, I almost never fall when I trip or twist an ankle, which is very fortunate, in my mind.

this reminds me of a toy I had when I was little. it was a Snoopy Sit and Slide, or Rock and Slide, or something. anyway, it was a large (kid-sized) piece of plastic molded into a C-shape, with Snoopy's body and face also molded into the concave side. if you had it face-up, you could rock back and forth while laying on it, kind of like a rocking chaise lounge. if you turned it Snoopy-side down, it was a small slide, which would've been fun for toddlers, as the incline was not so big. anyway, I used to find it fun to turn the thing Snoopy-side up, in rocking mode, to put one foot on the Snoopy's head edge, and the other foot on the opposite edge. so I'd be standing aloft on top of the thing, using my legs to rock back and forth carefully, in a sort of balancing act.

I got to be pretty good at doing this, but every once in a while I'd lose my balance slightly. I don't think I ever fell off; I was always able to rectify my balance and stay standing. whenever this happened, a phrase my mother used to say would pop into my head: "count your blessings." although now, I realize the saying must've been "don't count your blessings." but whatever. the point is, every time I'd almost fall but then regain my balance, I'd think, "WHEW! that must've been one of my blessings." and now I realize this story makes me as a kid look like a huge dork.

regardless, memories of almost falling off the Snoopy Rock and Slide and thinking it was a blessing I didn't fall always pop back into my head whenever I think I'm about to hit the pavement, but magically end up staying on my two feet.