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Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Always wanted a trampoline

I always wanted a trampoline. But I never got one.

I actually fell off of a trampoline one time in the fourth grade, which is probably why my parents decided not to buy me a trampoline despite my persistent nagging.

My friends and I were playing the game “dead man” on the trampoline. Shrieking with delight and terror, I bounced from one end of the trampoline to the other as the blindfolded, resurrected “dead man” chased after me.

In an effort to dodge his grasps, I stood by the rim of the trampoline and grabbed a low tree branch that dangled above the elastic. At the time, I did not understand the concept of gravity — until I heard the inevitable snap of a tree branch and a thud on the ground.

Now I understood how Humpty Dumpty felt when he fell off the wall. Unlike Humpty Dumpty, who shattered to pieces, however, I found myself waiting in the emergency room to make sure I had no cerebral or spinal damage. Sitting in the waiting room with my dad was an incredible waste of a perfect afternoon. I’m sure my dad felt the same way.

Because I gave my parents such a fright, racked up medical expenses and wasted time, I am pretty sure that is why I never got a trampoline.

If they did not buy me a trampoline, then there would be no possible way I could repeat the process. The incident happened more than eight years ago, but I still keenly remember the wind being knocked out of me.

I only remember it because I realize my parents were right. If they did buy me a trampoline, I am 99 percent sure I would have found myself in the emergency room again.

Lucy Ma is a senior at Houston County High School.