My Super Strength

When in elementary school, my backpack was quite loaded with schoolwork. I thought that if I inhaled a deep breath, I could lift it up. Many years later in college, I learned that what I was using was chi and it was called Qigong. I took two Qigong classes when I was in college and that helped clarify what the super strength thing was. I can breathe in three sharp breaths and push somebody bigger than me, which is what I learned how to do in class. This was shocking to me. I mean here I was in high school also lifting heavy backpacks. In junior college, the process continued much to the shock of my family.

Junior year I threw my back out. So I had to use a wheely backpack. I still had to haul it around though but it was certainly less painful than an actual backpack. My injury was not necessarily treated but it eventually got better. Oh yes, people did pick on me for this wheely backpack, even my teachers. But eventually years later, backpacks on wheels became trendy. I could almost market my own brand of wheely backpacks if I wanted to in my adult life.

In college, it wasn’t that bad. I mean creative writing texts are not as heavy as other subjects. The math books that I’ve seen in modern times are very thick. It has every conceivable math problem in it. I’m glad I’ve taken the last ten years off to get stable so I don’t overload myself with books. I think I need to go straight to Adobe e-readers because it is simply easier on my body. Since my high school years, I have torn my meniscus in both knees, fractured my tibia, dislocated my kneecap on my left knee, and well, my right knee is fine. Let’s not tempt fate.

I’m able to lift heavy objects such as walkers, tables, furniture, and I can bench press 55 pounds, or so I learned in my weight lifting class back in junior college. If I ever wind up going back to school anytime soon, I want to be able to use my strength but not overdo it. Meds give me the knowledge of when something is too much. If my knees hurt, I don’t bother. I can cause injury to myself if I’m not careful. But super strength does help me walk with my knee being as stiff as it is now.

I can haul around a heavy trolley full of cans. It makes some on the bus stare in disbelief. I’m capable of going grocery shopping and buying what I need by hauling it home. My super strength also helps me walk with my knee the way it is in general because I have decided to put more weight on my left leg as my right knee sometimes hurts in places I don’t want to talk about lest anything happens to it. I’m low-income but I can make money writing copy and this helps me a lot. I can’t even throw the shot put in field sports or play kick the can. In martial arts class, I can really throw down and pound a punching bag no matter the size of my opponent. I have studied Kenpo and Tae kwon do—respectively, 6 years Kenpo, 1 year of tae kwon do, and a quarter in junior college. I have studied martial arts as a lifelong interest no matter my disability or my knee injuries. To be sidelined like this is making me stressed since it takes care of feeling cranky, angry, or just plain aggressive. I found a tae kwon do school while taking the bus Thursday to an appointment I had with my career counselor. The thing is, though, I still have healing time to finish up with.