Imagine my surprise this morning when I awoke to find old friends come home to roost. They haven't completely moved in yet. There are still some corners that need straightening and bags to be unpacked, but they are here nonetheless, and I am thrilled. Thrilled beyond belief to see my old ankles and feet again.
It has been so long since I have seen them that I took nearly two minutes of full looking, and I have to say, that they looked downright spindly. (I had to look up the spelling of that word in the dictionary. I don't think I've ever written that word before. At least not in connection with my body.)
You see, I have a long, complicated history with my ankles. It all began in eighth grade when all of my 5'2" self played basketball. (Have I mentioned before that I come from a very small town; hence the reason I made the team?) Anyway, somewhere in the season I suffered a minor sprain that required taping. Before one game my coach took up medical tape and scissors to complete the job and said, and I quote, "Wow. You have the ankles of a man." The scene is totally intact in my brain.
Prior to this interaction I had never considered my ankles. They seemed useful and strong, but that's about as much attention as I had paid to them or anyone else's for that matter. Then suddenly I saw my ankles through different eyes. Were they unusually large? The size of a man's? I didn't have a lot of experience in the ankles department. Maybe he was right. I've had a thing with ankles ever since. Thank you, Coach Beamer, for that particular neuroticism.
I should probably also mention that he had nicknamed me Shamu and often said that we girls could run a lot faster if we unhooked that piano from our behinds. I didn't know enough about male chauvinist pigs at that time to tell him to take a hike. Sadly his ankle statement has stayed with me for years.
Then I got pregnant, and my man-sized ankles disappeared for seven months. They were swallowed by what I lovingly described as my "giant troll feet." Oh, how I missed my man sized ankles. There is nothing to make one more grateful for something even mediocre than not having it for awhile. And now that they are back, I intend to treat them right because, masculine or not, they are mine.
Welcome home, my dear, sweet mankles. Can I get you anything? Anything at all?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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10 comments:
LOL!!
You are to funny. Hope all is going well.
Yes, yes, and yes! I understand your feelings on this topic all too well. Ahhh...Coach Beemer! What a delightful man he was right!? I know of at least a dozen young women that he sent home in tears. What a great person to be shaping our young people back home. UGH!
Anyway, back to your ankles. I know exactly what you mean because I have the same kind of ankles. I call then kankles. Because from my knee straight down to my ankle, it is the same. I've always hated my legs and ankles. I went home one day from school on lunch hour to change from shorts to jeans one day because a couple of girls were making fun of my fat legs.
Wonder what they are doing with their lives these days? Hmmmm...
BUT-when your body goes through the miraculous things that it does to give life, I all the sudden was very grateful for the normal/abnormal things about my body.
Welcome back to Laurel! I hope seeing your mankles again and bringing little Lincoln home has brought the light back to your eyes.
I love you! Mankles and all!
Hope you are settling in well and are feeling great. Your mankles will love the extra attention!! :) Happy days....
I told you they would come back home! Hope everything is going well!
My son still has him as a coach. Too funny! Glad things are going well. He is sure cute!!
You are a nut! But, I DO hate jerks who screw with young minds. I hope there is a special place in hell for your old coach.
That is hilarious. You are so descriptive that it cracks me up.
Good ol' Coach Beamer! Why did we not know much about male chauvanism?? I know our sweet daughter has been trained well by her mother to not stand for it-at least I like to think she got it from me :~ Glad your ankles are back!
Where is Coach Beamer today? I'm asking because I'd like to find him and go kick his you know what!! What a jerk.
If it makes you feel any better, I have a complex about my ankles too. And my calves. I had a guy once say to me "ooh, I love a girl with thick calves." Guh-reat.
Where is Coach Beamer today? I'm asking because I'd like to find him and go kick his you know what!! What a jerk.
If it makes you feel any better, I have a complex about my ankles too. And my calves. I had a guy once say to me "ooh, I love a girl with thick calves." Guh-reat.
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