I wrote a silly post a few months ago about what a klutz I am… lacking in coordination BIG TIME. Falling down choral risers in picturesque Avignon and careening into a colleague in a stairwell. I mean…I’m a menace. It’s bad enough if you’re clumsy and the phrase ‘you’re your own worst enemy’ describes you perfectly but in my case, I have a tendency to take down whoever’s around me. The more the merrier? Thank God no one’s ever been seriously hurt by my quirky klutziness.
This morning as I read the latest from my friend Wynne Leon, I laughed. You know… Wynne Leon…of mountain climbing fame. I giggled as I read about the delight she felt while climbing Mt. Rainier when a cutie pie guide asked if she wanted to explore a crevasse. A sliver of an opening of ice, on a mountain. Here’s Wynne’s Heart of the Matter post. You’ve gotta click over just to see the action photo of her, taken by the guide to memorialize her courageous crevasse adventure. Whoa. And whoa again.
What does Wynne see in me? Yes…she’s a treasured friend, but I’m beginning to think – for her own safety – it’s a good thing she’s across the country and not physically close. Here are two snippets, as evidence, from my post about lacking grace – in case you missed them from a few months ago:
- Vicki is a Klutz #1: In beautiful Avignon when I was a teenager, I was blessed to be part of a choral group singing in the stunning Palais des Papes. I was the tallest girl and always ended up on the top riser, dead center for any performance. Fine…but the “stage” in Avignon was about as ancient as the venue and although I saw the gap in the floorboard when we got in position, I forgot about it once the singing commenced – you know, THAT venue and all. I was in heaven. Exuberance, out of body fantastic “feels” … until my right foot slid into the floorboard gap. A I started to fall, I grabbed the voluminous sleeves, both left and right on my friend’s robes, and they toppled with me, as the choir went down like dominoes. Good news? No one was seriously hurt. Not-so-good news? The choral director hated me forever after because of the scene I caused. Mr. Schnurlenburger, wherever you are, I’m still sorry, but it wasn’t entirely my fault, funky floorboards and all…
- Vicki is a Klutz #2: A few years ago, while trudging across campus carrying way too much and moving too fast, I inadvertently skipped the last three steps on a staircase, hurling myself toward a beloved colleague, James. I was SO happy to see him but the pile in my arms eclipsed my view of the stairs…resulting in something akin to an actual flying leap as I exclaimed, just before falling, “Hey…I can’t believe I ran into you!”
I figured it was time for a reminder. Consider this post a community service announcement. Happy Monday!
Vicki 😎
Victoria Ponders 
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