Falling DownTo you Sweet Ground

I haven't fallen down in a while, but as a child I did so often. Often enough, in fact, that I learned how to fall in order to prevent any serious injury to myself. I learned to roll, and tuck my head toward my chest, as well as keep my arms close to my sides.

Today while having a grand ol' time walking my dog, Sophie, dancing a bit to some Irish punk music, my dog caught me off guard by surging forward in the hopes of chasing a bird. I stumbled a step, and the next thing I knew, I tripped over some uneven sidewalk. I hit my knees and began to fall forward, but my old instincts kicked in. The next thing I knew, without a thought, I'd thrown my weight to the side, bent my head forward a bit, and tucked my arms to my sides (I realized all of this later, after I analyzed the fall). I landed with considerably less momentum on my back. My knees took the worst of the beating. One is turning purple-black, and the other is missing a nice little swatch of skin. If I hadn't rolled the way I'd done, however, I would have smacked my head on the pavement, considering that I have a hard time catching myself with my arms. Thank goodness for past experiences and some pretty good ninja/ survival skills!

On the downside, I don't know how I managed as a kid! My knees are killing me. It hurts to bend them. Stairs are painful. Then again, as a kid, I'd probably be screaming my head off, so I figure I'm handling it pretty well.