When I first think about situations involving fits of
laughter, somehow I have come to realize that am always the source being
laughed at. While it may seem sad, I am happy to know that my friends will
always be offered an endless supply of laughter at my expense. Due to the
excessive amount of tripping, slipping, wiping out, falling, and collapsing in
my day-to-day life, one must only wait a matter of minutes around me if they
are seeking a good laugh. I would love to say that my clumsiness is a family thing
that I just so happen to have attained the gene for; however, this is not the
case. Everyone in my family seems to be extremely graceful actually. My dad is quite
the wake boarder, water skier, and surfer, so his sense of balance makes me
believe that I may actually be adopted. Well, I’m not, so I might as well
embrace it and provide comic relief for all of those around me. During finals
week, I wiped out every time I went outside. This week even after a slight
chill that provided slick grounds I proceed to slide down the steps of Milton
Daniel. Falling up the stairs? Yes, that has happened too. Slipping on water in
the BLUU with a tray of food in my hands…yep me as well! Well all of this talk
about my inevitable gracefulness leads me to the epitome of my falling career that
seemed to leave everyone smiling for hours… well months… to come. So, being the
proud horned frog I am, I got all ready for game day this football season.
Anyone frog football fan can tell you that this football season has been a wet
one. Seemingly every home football game provided some sort of storm, torrential
rain, or even light mist. Well with water comes slippery grounds. Happily as
ever, I tied my bow in my hair, laced up my cheer shoes, and put on my freshly
dry cleaned cheerleading uniform. To preface, each quarter of the football
game, the cheerleaders rotate to different corners of the football field. We
will start in one area and gradually (or not so gradually) make our way to the
other side. This part of the game seems to always be a bit hectic. Either we
are running into the tunnel for half time, running out of the tunnel for pre game
routines, or simply moving from one end zone to another. All the while, we are
making sure we have all of our water bottles in hand and haven’t left someone
behind. We are far more focused on making sure we go to the correct part of the
field that the media team so specifically explains each game. So, as with any
ordinary day, the first quarter ends, and the rain begins. “Lovely,” I think to
myself. Here comes the curly hair, running make up, and humid air. Little did I
know, the last thing I needed to be worrying about was my hair. This quarter
change, we had to move from the recruit section to the alumni section. This
requires that we pass behind the player’s bench and run with haste to get there
before the media breaks. Behind the players bench is a large crevice that seems
to accumulate everything that a football game has to offer: rain, dirt, food,
gum, you name it! That is precisely the area we were told to run through. Now
without the rain this would have been no problem. But peppy as ever, I pick up
my water bottle, begin to run toward the alumni section and then it happens… Just
as I really get going, my feet suddenly come out from under me, and before I
know it I am sliding on my stomach passed the entire bench. The players aren’t
paying attention so they aren’t the concern. The fans, however, have the
perfect view of me as I surf past them on my stomach through the water, dirt,
and food in my uniform. I wish that I could better explain this visually, but
just picture me starting from one end of the player’s bench and sliding on my
stomach unable to stop myself all the way to the other side of the bench.
That’s a long way! Just when I am thinking that no one saw, I look behind me to
see my teammates, the ones that love me most, literally rolling on the ground
out of laughter. This situation epitomizes the superiority theory. They felt so
proud of themselves that they made it through the slush without wiping out only
to see me hydroplaning. Not only was this superiority theory, but it was also
relief theory. They initially laughed to cover up the awkward situation, but
more importantly they thought I was seriously hurt for quite some time until I
myself laughed to keep from crying. Once they knew I was ok and more
importantly that I hadn’t been wearing one of their uniforms, they began to
hysterically break out into laughter. For the rest of the game, I was soaking
wet (not because of the actual rain), but because I simply could not make it
through the game without one of my infamous wipeouts. I would love to say that
this instance provided some simple instantaneous laughter; however, it is still
providing laughter today… Some things people just don’t forget. Every time I
wear that white bow, I see the mud that has still not come out. I am just
thankful it is not on You Tube yet! Oh the life of a rookie…
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