Earliest memories meme

As tagged by Boo!

Tumbling

I was three, in kindergarten (Foochow Methodist Church in Serangoon, for those who care, and yes, I started kindy at three — I was bored staying at home). I’m sure I’ve written about this before. The swings were highly coveted there — it was a race very single day to get to the swings during recess and actually get a go on them. By the way, I think this is why I was on the athletics team when I was in primary school — I’m small and do not have long legs, but the desire for those swings made me run fast.

The swings were the ‘bottom half of a tyre with iron chain fasted on either end’ type — very comfy, and excellent for going super, super high. Being a bundle of nervous energy and not much else was rather good for getting very, very high up (or ‘high, high in the skyyyy…’, as we used to sing).

(What I’ve described so far is a general memory of those times.)

To be completely honest, I do not remember anything about actually getting on the swings, or what we learned in school that day. What I remember with crystal clarity is tumbling backwards — a thump rumble rumble thump in blackness. I don’t remember falling off the swing, I don’t remember when and what stopped me from rolling backwards (probably a wall?). But telling you all I remember is tumbling just doesn’t help create the atmosphere so you can understand the context of this pivotal moment in my life, i.e. the first clear-cut evidence of my total klutziness.

Apparently the principal had to run and ring my mum and gran, and I got stitches!

That was the most exciting memory. Others include doing pull-ups on the crossbar of those same swings although I have no idea why, I think it was meant to be some kind of intimidation tactic, although it should have been clear then that I am a squirt (still three years of age), throwing a tantrum because I didn’t want to wear makeup on the day of my kindy ‘graduation’ concert (you can see my tear-streaked face in the photos, even from that distance, I was 5, I think), falling off yet another swing but it was a different style of swing, and I ended up with my knee twisted up under it and had to take time off school because I couldn’t walk (I was six), sitting on the beach in Hawaii and letting waves crash over us (I was seven).

I reckon I’m meant to tag others to do the meme, but I can’t be bothered.

• 30 Nov 2007

• Thinking