Constantly tripping on your walk to class, or any walk for that matter? Do you find yourself on the ground more times than you can count on one hand in the span of a week? Do you wake up with a new bruise on your leg, wondering where you got it from, only to remember you fell down the stairs the day before? Speaking of stairs, do you fall every way possible when not only going down them, but up them as well? If you answered yes to most of these questions, you know the struggle that is being clumsy, and having absolutely no control over it.
Every friend group has one: the person who trips, falls, face plants, and everything in between every time he or she moves their feet. You will forever be known as “the klutz” or “the clumsy one.” It has become so common that when you hit the ground, or on the lucky occasions that you save yourself from face-to-floor contact, your friends aren’t even surprised. There is definitely still laughs and jokes exchanged, but nonetheless your lack of poise has become routine. The only exception to this notion is either when you actually hurt yourself or you stay on the ground longer than usual. Despite all of this, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your motor-awkwardness, especially because you can’t help it.
If you’re like me, your ungracefulness extends to other simple, yet coordination-challenging actions, such as keeping your phone in your hand. There are times that I drop my phone calmly and no one even notices, seeing as though just about everyone drops their phone occasionally. Other times, I by accidently throw my phone across the room (bit of an exaggeration), appearing as though I am aiming to hit someone or am really upset about something I just saw on my screen. The latter happens to me so frequently that I have started to believe someone is following me around, slapping my phone out of my hand for entertainment, I just can’t see them. In reference to my friends’ reactions, or lack thereof, the same goes for dropping my phone. After a few chuckles, we continue on our day and forget about me hurling my phone onto the ground for the 1000th time.
Lacking grace and tripping from time to time is not rare for a lot of people, in fact it happens to everyone. I used to be embarrassed every time I fumbled over my feet and seconds later was no longer standing. In the past, my face would get red when my phone hit the ground and made a loud sound. Mostly due to recurrence, I have come to not only find my blunders humorous, but I fully embrace them. Rather than worrying if anyone is judging me, I choose to not judge myself and brush it off (in some cases, literally). No matter how bad or awkward the fall is, it’s best to just pick yourself up… even though you’re going to fall again!