Got to tell you about an experience I had when I was growing up. We would go to visit my grandmother. She lived in a small farming community.
We’re talking population 400 people at the time. It was a farm. My cousins lived in the town so we had kids our age to do stuff with. And one of the things that were there that was fun was a huge rope swing. Take a gunny sack, tie it onto the end of this big rope that would go up into the tree so you had a really long swing. It was fun. Then we put this big 55-gallon drum, wheel it to a certain spot, climb up on top of that. Someone then hands the rope, you jump back as far as you could, straddle the gunny sack, and then you’d swing.
It was a lot of fun. And then actually, if we got good at it, or if we wanted to go further, then we’d take a step ladder and set it up behind the 55-gallon drum and climb up that and then go up a little further. So the further back you start, the further you’re going to swing back and forth. That was a lot fun. And then we’d have… One of our cousins or siblings would, after you launch, they hurry and get up on the barrel. And when you swing back, they grabbed the rope and straddle you and so there’d be two of you. And I think we got three on at one point, maybe four. I don’t know, we weren’t that big. But it was a lot of fun. One of my fond memories of visiting my grandma’s house the many times we spent growing up there.
One time, I don’t remember the details, and you’ll understand why in just a second, but we were doing something like this. And for whatever reason, I missed the gunny sack, I fell off. Something happened and I hit the ground and I hit my head. That explains a lot of things, for people that know me. But I hit my head and like most of us when we fall down in public, the first thing you’re worried about is what? Who saw me, right? Who saw me? It’s like, I don’t want to be seen. I don’t want to be laughed at. I don’t want to look stupid, right? Well, I had that same initial reaction. I still kind of remember this. And so people were laughing. I tried to laugh. So I got up and dusted myself off.
And then I went into my grandma’s house and I actually went upstairs and lay down. Well, I had a concussion. I don’t know how long I slept or was out. But I know my grandma was worried about me, which… She wasn’t… If she was worried about you, you knew you needed to be concerned about yourself because otherwise, you’re cut. Oh, that’s no big deal. Go take care of it.
When I came to, when I woke up, it was like, to me the whole day had been a dream. And that was the effect of this concussion on me. When I woke up, I could remember it, but it was like, “God, that was like a dream. That didn’t really happen.” I ended up walking around everywhere to see all the places I’ve been that day. And in my mind, it was registering, “Is this real or not?” And, “Did I experience that or did I dream that?” It was almost like it was a déjà vu when I woke up because of that concussion that I got.
Why am I sharing this with you? When you’re trying to do something that you think might be fun or might be good or that you would like to do, and you take a crack at it and you fall off and knock your head, you may be inclined to not do it again now. Now, depending on what it is, maybe that’s the right decision. But if it’s things that ultimately are really good for you, then maybe you should try again anyway. Don’t let that bump on the head that you get stop you from doing what you need to do, even if you’re not comfortable doing it when you start with it. I can tell you, swinging on a rope swing is a lot of fun. Just try not to bump your head or don’t let your head bumps stop you from doing it again.