random memory: "no, heather, your MOM"

...AKA that time i was almost paralyzed.

the people up the street got a trampoline. since there's no fencing up between the houses here, everyone sees everyone else's backyard, so i'm forced to stifle the urge to run over there and bounce. *sigh*

it reminds me, though, of this time in high school where i was damn near seriously injured on one...

---

autumn '96. i was 17, over at my friend, heather's house with two of my best friends. we were all chillin on the big wicked awesome trampoline in the backyard, either seeing who could double bounce who and send everyone flying up toward the trees (i normally won at that one, because of my weight advantage) or laying around talking about boys and eating strawberries out of the patch.

it was during one of these double-bouncing contests, where the three of them managed to all come down at the same time, double bounce me and send me hurtling upward. i was so surprised at being so far away from the trampoline that i half flipped and ended up coming back down neck first.

onto the springs.

i couldn't move, i just lay there with my hair half tangled into the springs, and out of shock i didn't say anything for a bit, so no one knew i was hurt. they kept bouncing away and sending stabs of pain through my back and neck til i thought i would pass out. i don't think they even stopped bouncing when i finally screamed out, "HOLY SHIT, I'M FUCKING PARALYZED!"

eventually they noticed my lack of movement and string of profanity, the curiosity of the jenny laying half twisted at their feet, and climbed down off of the trampoline. heather asked if she should run into the house and get her mom. "YES, GO GET YOUR MOM, I CAN'T MOVE, OH MY GAWD HEATHER I'M GONNA DIE, GO GET YOUR MOM, PLEEEEASE, OOOOOOOOOW..."

you can see how well i deal with pain.

so heather ran into the house. i was stuck out there with my other two friends: mandy (my bestest friend) and michelle. both seemed to be concerned enough at first, poking at my neck, asking "does it hurt? does it hurt? can you move yet? does it hurt?" mandy climbed back up on the trampoline, bounced a little, and asked, "what about that, does that hurt?" haha bounce bounce. "how bout that?" she was laughing at me, great. BOUNCE "how bout that..." giggle BOUNCE giggle BOUNCE. everytime she got me laughing, pain needled through my neck.

eventually, i began to be able to move around some. it had been 5 minutes of torture and still heather had not come out of the house. she got distracted easily, but none of us thought she would forget about something like a near paralyzed friend sprawled on her trampoline, but...

heather finally came out of the house nearly 10 minutes later, with a big smile...and holding a pinata. "no, heather, your MOM...well, nevermind..."

i suffered no permanent injury, and i was back to bouncing less than an hour later, but had it been serious, i'm glad i was in such good hands.

HA!