When an Injury Takes You Out

I've been excited for months now, the prospect of coming to New York City and reconnecting with my closest friends, and training, training, training. For the first week and a half I was here, it was GREAT. I loved seeing my friends, I loved training...most of all I just felt at home.

Then a few days ago, I got injured. Which is something that is inevitable in Capoeira, and for all intensive purposes, it's not that bad. I'm not using crutches, I (fingers crossed) won't need surgery. But it does take me out of the game. And in a place like New York, where you walk everywhere, it takes me out of the experience which is simply; hanging out in New York City. And I've been looking forward to so much. Sad. I had fantasized about this trip, about the places I would eat, the people I would see, the teachers I would train with. It was really all of that expectation that made it hard to accept my reality. I really can't walk very well.

So instead, I decided to come to Jersey, where my cousins are home for the holidays, and relish in car culture for once. I also took advantage of those motorized carts today at Costco AND Target. Who knew they were so necessary? Anyway, it's unfortunate that the city is such a hard place to heal. Although it is super stimulating for my brain socially, it's better that I hide away for a while and focus my thoughts on this here knee.

I'm the typical person, who when they have to pay out of pocket to go see the doctor, I put it off. I've been pouring over the medical advice websites, searching for "treatment knee sprain," or "healing stretched ligaments." The swelling is going down, but my knee is weak on the inside and buckles sometimes.... yikes. It's only the first week though, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will heal. Recently I've heard of community acupuncture places, where they treat multiple people at the same time, and usually have a sliding scale, anywhere from $20-50. Just google community acupuncture and the city you are in and you'll find if there's one near you.

Being injured also gives me a little time to reflect on another injury and the place of Capoeira in my life. I was a little hesitant to tell my mother that I had injured myself yet again. Her advice to me was of course, stop playing Capoeira. But I can't stop. I've been doing it too long to stop. I'm finally to the point where I don't have to think so hard to do it to stop. And it's one of the things that makes me so blissfully happy. I really can't stop.

It has, though, become a smaller part of me life. It has become a healthier part of my life. When I was younger, I probably would have become a lot more depressed, but this time, when it happened, I wasn't SO upset. I was bummed that I couldn't hang out with my friends, and that I had come to New York specifically to train. But....life could be much much worse. And it's given me an opportunity to hang out with my cousins that I haven't seen in a while, and be partially smothered by my very Taiwanese aunt. I was actually touched that she wanted to lecture me on my life path, because actually, it's kind of nice to know that she cares.

So, a few weeks out of my life isn't all that bad, and it reminds me to be versatile in my activities and life choices. Of course I can't wait till I can play Capoeira again, but I also look forward to when I can walk normally, go hiking, run, dance, and swim. I just have to remember to stay strong in mind and in body and hopefully when the next injury comes it won't be so bad.