Soccer is a young person’s sport! A hard-learned fact, at least for me, is that I don’t heal as quickly as once did. Another hard-learned fact is that my body has more places to hurt than I remember.
I assist my son-in-law, Brad, coaching soccer. He is the coach…I am a student and his assistant. We were holding a practice last Thursday in a local school gym. We were sharing it with my grandson’s team. As Brad is wont to do, we arrived early.
We completed setup and I had time to kill. Trying to be funny, I tried to steal the soccer ball from my grandson. Note I have never played and he is quite an accomplished goalkeeper and field player. He shielded me away before sending the ball past me. He ducked around me to give chase. Not one to be outdone, I gave chase also.
He retrieved the ball while I slipped and went face first to the floor. A positive was my face did not contact the floor. I managed to absorb the impact with both forearms and both knees. Knowing the spectacle I made, I climbed to my feet and walked it off. The pain in one forearm and both knees went away quickly. The other had a nice floor burn and bothered me the entire night.
For the hard-earned facts. The next day and every day since the burn has not been a problem except when it comes in contact with a surface. However, the left knee has a good size egg on it and made itself known when I scaled stairs on Friday. Additionally, it seems that I used muscles not used in some time for they are voicing their discontent with not being properly prepared for exercise. An ankle twinges now and then and the lower back groans as it requests stretching. It is Sunday and there has been progress but as I noted, healing is slower when you are well past 60 years.
If there is a lesson, what would it be? Should old men challenge your kids in sporting activities? No! Maybe, old men shouldn’t fall face first onto a gym floor? Yes! The lesson really is that one should be aware of their capabilities and strive to remain within them. I am an active senior who refuses to let age deny me activities I enjoy. I do accept that I cannot do them as I did years ago. Well, most of the time that is. Sometimes I forget and have to go through a long healing stint.
What hard-learned things have you learned? Do they involve gym floors? Tell me about them.
I hope you get well soon!
I learned the hard way playing tag with my pre-schooler this weekend. The stop and starts and sharp turns are brutal on that ankle I broke last year!
Time will solve the aches I suspect. Amazing what stops, turns, etc does to a body. Back and ankles pay the biggest price IMO.