The story of a tree, a chiropractor and a bad neck.

Yet another memory of old that sheds some light on how I got this way. :-)



We had all just finished up our final semester exams and were enjoying the wonderful, adventuresome days that 12 year old boys generally find once out of school. On the day in memory here, my sister -L- and I were once again "primal hunters in pursuit of prey," tracking various large-game animals, and finding unusual ways to "kill" them. The vicious animal that I was currently tracking was a large bear, gifted with the power of invisibility and tenacity. However, after many hours of "pushing" this man-killer through the forest, I had finally managed to chase him up a tree. I remember feeling elated - that I, the supreme master of the forest, had cornered and treed his first bear. I was NOT going to let this one get away. I settled easily into the role of "bear killer." Armed with naught else but my Elm-tempered rifle, I slew the beast way up in the tree, taking a wonderfully excellent shot and striking him right betwixt the eyes! Haha, dreamt I, my first bear!



Because of my imagination, I entertained the idea that a birds nest, high up the tree, was the bear's body, and wouldn't I be brave indeed to bring back the carcass of my first bear! So, as the indestructible bear killer began to climb the tree, my faithful follower, -L- documented all my movements with "be careful, Jinxedy, it really high!" I waved affectionately, for I was overly confident, and, sure enough, I was not careful. As I climbed, the branches of the Tamarack became sickly and dry. Years ago, it had been struck by lightening, and was now in its final death throes. Many of the branches were brittle and long dead, some smaller ones snapping as I leveraged them for support. When I was about 20 feet off the ground, and only five or six feet from the nest, I tried jumping off a branch in order to reach the next higher branch above me ... I remember nothing else.

I woke up back at home in my room, lying on my bed. My head and back hurt and I vaguely remember having a bandage on my forehead. My vision was fuzzy and I couldn't remember how I had come home. Shortly, my dad came into the room and asked me how I was feeling. I remember crying and saying that my back hurt. So, we went to see my Uncle Joe, the chiropractor.
I was bent at the hip, leaning towards my right side at a 30 degree angle. It took the rest of the summer to re-align my back and spinal column, and I popped with dramatic fashion every time I got out of bed in the morning. So, even to this day, I am plagued with a bad neck and pressure headaches. I can still turn my head and POP! every morning, and I am sure that my back will eventually catch up with me and turn weak too. For now, I am happy to be upright and walking.

So, now you know why I crack and pop so much!
Until the next round of memories or dreams, I remain,
Jinxedy