Falling

Last night while scrimmaging I had a big (somewhat embarrassing) fall on my butt. In derby we work to create muscle memory to fall on our knees (and our big cushy knee pads). But when I get to the jello legs phase of the evening (muscles fatigued, but still skating) I'm much more likely to lose my balance and fall on my ass. Especially if we are scrimmaging, I am jamming and not wanting to be outskated. Splat!

I did a quick inventory -- ouch, my butt hurts, I'm vibrating a little from the impact, but I can stand up and skate -- and was off again.

It struck me that I used to think when I fell I would be hurt and maybe broken and not be able to get up. I think that skating and practicing falling, and then falling because I lose my balance has taught me that it really is ok to fall. We don't automatically break into pieces, or get hurt, or become unable to get back up. I am, in fact, stronger than I might think. Maybe this has become metaphorical as well as physical. Maybe that's where the Rolling Lane is these days. Helping me fall and get back up again, taking the physical to the metaphorical.