Saturday, October 22, 2016

Football Counter-Programming 2016--Week 8

Yeah, I know that I'm diverting a bit from the "style" that I created at the beginning of this season of Counter-Programming. And there is nothing more that I hate than inconsistent style when applied to a completely arbitrary concept. But even if much of the rest of what I do on this blog is meaningless, I should at least try to maintain some standards of expectation.

And yet . . .

Welcome, back everyone to another Saturday of Counter-Programming!

How is your sports avoidance strategies holding up in 2016? I realize that things are harder as Fall starts to settle in, as the leaves blanket the yard, and thoughts turn to Halloween candy and sweaters. But, don't worry! Because if your "Autumn" is anything like the one that I have been experiencing, you might think it is still summer. So, why not take the chance this Saturday afternoon to take a stroll outside? Or cut the grass one more time? Or take up disc golf. (You know that you've always been intrigued by it and wanted to see what it was like.)

But . . . on to today's FC-P topic. And it's time for some #RealTalk . . .

I am developing a fear of falling.

Not falling off of a cliff or falling off of a roof, or even falling off of a ladder--though I definitely do avoid that possibility as much as I can.

No, I'm talking about the everyday stumble. The trip over your own feet. The unexpected faceplant.

If you've known me for a while, I've surely told you the story of my spectacular fall when I was in high school and I was attending a band competition. (I don't want to spend lots of time searching the blog for a post I surely must have written on this topic some time in the past--as I am already later than I want to be with uploading this post.)

But I did find an old post where I describe where this sort of situational vertigo started.

It is not a persistent, all-the-time sort of fear. But there are these times when I focus on it more. As I said in that previous post--when I am walking in the cafeteria with a tray and part of my brain is devoted to balancing. And especially when I am walking across open spaces with a tray and my brain suddenly realizes that (if worst comes to worst) I would not have something right beside me to grab hold of.

(Do you know where I feel this most acutely? In those wide-open circular areas at the mall, where hallways converge and there are escalators? Do you know what I'm talking about? Places where there is just . . . space? Sometimes, I get an extra hitch in my gait when I hit one of those areas. My brains just sort of wakes up for a minute and makes me aware of things. And my leg muscles sort of cramp up for a step or two.)

I always wonder what that looks like to someone else. Can they notice it?

The other place where I've been bothered by it most often is walking on sidewalks. (Especially when I was walking downtown recently or last Spring when we visited Savannah and went walking on River Street. So many uneven cobble stones everywhere!) Sidewalks are full of seams and uneven borders and shifted planes and well, it is just a problem! But I am trying to take more walks--both for my health and to confront this psychological block and force it out of existence.

That is my strategy at the moment--confront and overcome. Just walk it out of existence or learn to ignore it--like I try to ignore my double-vision when it is getting to be a problem.

I admit that when my vertigo in the office cafeteria was really causing me concern a few years ago, I started to investigate whether I should visit a psychologist. I waded into the HR Benefits site at work to see if I could find anything that made any sort of logical sense. But the problem became more manageable after that and I didn't go much further with my investigation. I guess I could go back to it if needed, but for now I think I am okay.

As long as I stay upright. When I get a bit older and the specter of broken bones becomes more of a problem? Well, I guess we'll see. If I join the gym and get stronger, maybe I can gain more overall body control and learn to handle things in different ways still.

I guess I'll keep you updated if necessary. But until then, remember--absolutely EVERYONE cares if your primary field goal kicker is guilty of domestic violence. So, don't act like we don't have an opinion on that subject. Just cut that jackass from your team and move on.

See you next weekend with more Football Counter-Programming!

No comments: