How your body works? A knee jerk reaction!
I react to unusual yelps of pain. I find her in the family room, beating herself with a hair brush, with a silent audience, her brothers.
“What on earth are you doing to yourself?”
“I can’t make it work!”
“Make what work?”
“The knee jerk thing.”
“Oh……I see. Well you don’t have to be so violent about it. It’s really easy. Let me show you. Pull up your trouser leg. Cross your legs. Now feel your knee cap and tap firmly just underneath.”
“Wow! It works!”
“Be more gentle. It only takes a tap.”
“Geez, that is so cool!”
“You can do it to anyone, especially if they have bare legs. All you have to do is look carefully and tap. It makes for a great joke. You could try it at school.”
“Come on you guys. Whydontcha have a go too?” The boys examine their own knee caps, with care and a good degree of contemplation.
“Not joke.”
“It’s not a joke? Don’t you think it’s funny dear?”
“Er…….not if you ain’t got no legs.”
Rats to the “theory of mind!”
February 13th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Jack does this to me all the time! He thinks it’s funny that my right leg is super reactive, whilst the left is dull due to neuropathy. Grr.
February 13th, 2009 at 8:34 am
The body’s version of a video game. chkl. Action-reaction-visual-response.
He is thinking outside-himself again – of those who have lost limbs. Nice cognitive skill.
Knee-jerk is not recommended as a substitute for exercise however.
Ahem. Just like dreaming about cleaning does not get it done. I wish! Must go finish the dusting!
February 13th, 2009 at 10:01 am
i like Barbara’s comment above about the body being a video game… have to remember that one
February 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Could you maybe retitle your blog “Ain’t Got No Legs”?