Pride Comes Before a Fall

Yes, indeed it does! Read on and you'll see what I mean!

I was about fifteen or sixteen, dreadfully vain and with an ego that reached new heights with every compliment I received. I spent long minutes in front of the mirror, brushing my hair, putting on face creams, preening. Pretty pathetic, now that I am older and all things considered. At the time, however, I didn't see anything wrong in it.

I went down to the beach one day and the weather was so wonderful I decided to go for a swim. I grabbed a towel, kicked off my shoes and walked down to where the sand started. When I got there I saw our local rugby (football) team busy practising on the sand. I immediately stood up straighter, sucked in my stomach, flicked my hair over my shoulder and started the short walk onto the sand and to the rocks where I could leave my things whilst swimming. I threw my towel onto the sand, pulled off my shirt and tossed it along with my sarong, next to my towel. And then I darted towards the water, hair flying!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....OOEMPFF!!! I hit the sand and lay there for a few seconds, completely stunned. This just couldn't be happening to me...only it was, it had and I was now aware that the whole rugby team had stopped playing and were watching me with scarcely controlled mirth. I felt the blush move up along my neck, reach my ears and carry on up. I was burning with embarrassment but the longer I lay there, the worse it was going to get. So up I jumped with a big smile pasted on my face and took off again towards the water.

3, 2, 1....AAARGH!!! KADOEF! Oh woes! I lay there, my mouth filled with sand, my nose all squished up. Could this get any worse? I shouldn't have asked...I heard muffled laughter coming from behind me. Oh the shame, the embarrassment! I closed my eyes and wished the earth could just swallow me up and that this could all just be a bad dream from which I would wake. I tentatively opened one eye but I was still lying in the sand.

Oh well, it could not get any worse so I jumped up again and made a last passionately hopeful attempt at reaching the water before embarrassing myself further...but it just wasn't to be. I hadn't taken more than ten steps before I fell for the third time. I was shattered! I could hear the guys guffawing on the beach and their laughter just made me blush all the more.

I crawled the last few paces to get completely into the water and there I stayed, my back towards the beach. I didn't want to see them, didn't want them to see how red my face was, how embarrassed I was.
And then, treacherous humor! I felt my mouth start to twitch and I could feel the laughter bubbling up inside me. The ridiculousness of the situation struck me in waves and I burst out laughing.

I was still giggling to myself an hour later when (after making sure the guys had all left) I walked out of the surf and went back to my chalet.

That day served to teach me a very valuable lesson: Pride does indeed come before a fall!!