One of the major benefits of having played sports growing up, and the main reason my daughter(s) are at least going to try it, is that it can give girls a healthy relationship with their bodies, which is pretty tough to come by these days. But it's hard not be proud of something that can perform for you on the field (or court or whatever).
It took me almost ten years to find the downside. I hurt my knee, badly, in the spring of 2001. There was a brief period where I had the idea that maybe it was fine, but no dice. I had surgery, didn't walk for three weeks, didn't run for nine weeks, and didn't feel like myself on an athletic field for more than a year. When you ask a lot of your body, sometimes it doesn't quite keep up. And then you can have a teeny little problem with trusting it in the future.
This year, I hurt my shoulder playing baseball (though not as badly, thank god). I didn't really throw for the last two weeks of the season and I haven't thrown in the last month either. I did manage to put my money where my mouth was and go to the doctor (as a friend says, if it's bad enough, you'll go to the doctor. I guess this a nice way of saying shit or get off the pot), who thinks it's fine, but I'm not convinced. He did all his tests, and I trust him, but there's something not right about it. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some part of me almost wanted him to say that there was somthing wrong with it, because at least then the doubt would be gone.
Or maybe it's just my imagination. Guess we'll wait and see.
1 comment:
It seems the older we get, the more we understand the "language" of our bodies. Yeah, doc you may not see any further damage or problems but it always feel you'll have the insider hotline when it comes to the possibility of a re-occurrence.
When I was younger, I used to think I could shake off injuries and various aches and pains. Now I seem to be collecting souvenirs from various (mis)adventures in recreationally playing sports (the snap crackle and pop of my ankle, courtesy of getting tackled while pushing off on that same ankle; the fact that one of my knuckles is forever swollen, a reminder of dislocating a finger playing softball)
Is it our body trying to convince our mind to take fewer risks with each subsequent injury?
As I've always said (of another ability, but applicable here) keep going until they finally tell you to stop, but even then, just slow down.
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