Ouch!

My college kid called me and mentioned that she had done an imitation of Superman. She flew over the handlebars of her bike and ended up on the sidewalk. Her knee swelled up and she was bruised on various body parts. I reminded her to put ice on the knee and make sure that the swelling is going down.

During the initial phone call, I didn't ask her about the condition of her bike. We had just purchased and given her the bike for her birthday last month. I figured that if the bike was ruined, she didn't need to feel any worse.

When I spoke to her the following day, my daughter explained the accident. She was riding her bicycle to school while wearing a very heavy backpack. She was also carrying a mug of coffee in one hand. As she rode along the path, a pedestrian appeared suddenly. My daughter tried to jump a curb, using one hand to lift the front end of the bike. It didn't work. She ended up late to class wearing coffee-stained clothing. There were many fellow students nearby to appreciate her acrobatics. Her knee wasn't too badly injured and after a few days of hobbling around, life returned to normal. I think the biggest injury was to her ego.