Published on 12, July, 2020
I know that we can be prone to being clumsy (and why, and that I definitely am), but can still find it upsetting.
Since my diagnosis, I've found it easier to just acknowledge - or even to smile or laugh about - the smaller examples. But my unending stream of clumsiness, together with the hassle of the bigger examples, still gets to me.
It started innocuously enough today: I somehow dropped my teabag on the kitchen floor, between taking it out of the caddy and putting it into my cup. One moment it was right there, between my thumb and fingers, and I was looking right at it. The next it was on the floor. I've no idea how.
Two hours later, one that I couldn't smile about: I was sitting in the living room, had a first sip from a cup of coffee, and then - in the process of putting it back on the side table - somehow knocked it over and spilled it all over the floor (including down the table, under the table, under the sofa, etc).
I thought it might be interesting or maybe even therapeutic to share some of our clumsiness incidents.
So, if you feel like sharing, how clumsy are you? And what are some examples - whether recent or old?
(Very importantly, I don't mean to be tone deaf with this thread in respect of those of us who routinely have more severe difficulties. I'm thinking about the situations that we think we've got covered, until it turns out that we haven't).
I like to tuck my legs under as I sit down on the sofa - one time I lost my balance and hit my toes on the hard side of the sofa, then had to explain at work why I was having trouble walking and going up and down stairs. I think they all thought I was drunk, but I hadn't had a drop.
A few years ago I was walking to the shops with my partner. As we were about to cross a side road, I looked to the right to check for traffic and fell off the pavement into the road. Luckily I was holding his hand which broke my fall, but I still ended up with bruises.
As a child I took a long time to learn to ride a bike, couldn't catch a ball, and was always last to be picked for team sports.
Strangely, I did learn to dance (ballroom) - not sure how that happened!
I tuck my legs under myself also, and sometimes forget that when attempting to stand up. I either have to fight myself free of my legs or I just end up looking like I've decided to take a dive off the sofa.
I think my inate lack of balance and rhithym put paid to any chance of my learning to ride a bike, I was a late starter too which didn't help, I didn't try to learn until I was in my late 30's. I was so much taller than all my friends that I couldn't ride their bikes, they were just to small.
I did try to learn to dance, I did a belly dancing class and managed to get my boobs and bum shimmying on opposite directions, unfortunately none of it was in time to the music. People back away from me if I hit the dance floor, they want to pretend they don't know me as I flail about like an octopus who's had an electric shock. I couldn't even pogo in time with everyone else, I was always going up as they were going down and vice versa.