May 19, 2005

high school memories are the BEST.

Senior year of high school I had foot surgery and had the choice of crutches or a wheelchair to get around at school. As opposed to being embarrassed by my "handicap," I chose the wheelchair, which landed my best friend and I (1) an elevator pass and (2) the chance to leave every class 15 minutes early.

We liked to spend these extra 15 minutes in the empty hallways, seeing how fast we could get my wheelchair to go. PRETTY DAMN FAST, I tell ya. One day she got a running start, pushed me with as much force as possible, and then let go. You can imagine that the freaking thing went all the way down the longest corridor on the main floor, headed straight for the office. (Keep in mind, I was actually RIDING in it.) We were both screaming (me: "Oh my GOD! Oh my GOD!" and she: "STOP it! Can you STOP IT?!" (and simultaneously laughing hysterically, the kind of laughing where you can't breathe and your stomach is all cramped up) because we knew I was going to run into the front doors to the office.

As I raced past 4 or 5 different classrooms, the respective teachers rushed out into their doorways to see what the ruckus was about: they were not pleased to see we were wheelchair racing. Well, does one wheelchair even count as a "race?" But yeah. Finally, I ran smack into the office door, shocking the HELL out of the secretary, who already thought we were hilarious, and my crash into the thick glass doors sent the framed photos of all 7 or 8 of the Assistant Principals bumping against the wall, threatening to fall to the floor and shatter. After the crash we must have laughed for a good 10 minutes.

I really think maybe you had to be there. But it was funny as hell. It was also kind of scary, what with my impending doom and the fear I was going to run dead into my surgerized foot, but heck: the fear is half of why it was so funny.

blueavenue at 11:41 p.m.

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