I was an active, mischievous child. I blame it on the woods. I grew up on sixty acres, free to roam wherever I pleased. My days were filled with creek swimming and deer hunting (not literally, I would just try and sneak up on them until they ran away). I was so used to my freedom that when my mother would take me into the ‘city’, I never understood that my freedom was restrained. I couldn’t run around the mall or grocery store as I pleased. I had to stay close, no matter what.
It was May of 1989. I was three years old. I was to start this wonderful thing called ballet in the coming fall but, for the time being, I had to sit with my mother as she volunteered at the yearly recital. This performance was no small affair. Every child in town took dance from my aunt. Tickets were hard to come by and families swarmed the doors to get the best seats. It is a miracle no one has ever been injured (that I know of).
It was Wednesday which meant dress rehearsal. All of the girls sat in the audience to watch, hair up in buns, faces slathered with stage makeup. They were the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. I watched in glee as they twirled on the stage but, as the hours went by, boredom began to set in. Mother was keeping a close watch on me but when three girls ran up to ask ten questions each at the same time, I knew this was my chance.
I had been eyeing the curtain that surrounded the floor of the stage since we’d arrived. My imagination had taken off as soon as I’d seen it. It reminded me of the carousels at department stores where I would disappear to far-away places until my frantic mother finally discovered my hidden location. There could be anything under this curtain and I had to know what it was at once.
I glanced at my mother and noticed that she was preoccupied but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I slithered out of my front row seat and crawled to the curtain, excitement building at the possibilities. I stood up precariously, and put one hand on the curtain as I leaned in.
Unfortunately, I was unaware of the definition of a curtain at my three years, and more importantly, the idea of it being flimsy.
I fell right through the curtain and into the orchestra pit, an estimated four feet below the floor I had so recently been standing.
I hit the floor hard and immediately began screaming. Parents rushed to my aid and yanked me out in a moment’s time as my mother pulled me into her arms. I was okay, though terrified. The exciting adventure I had so eagerly awaited had been nothing but a nightmare. My father arrived a few minutes later to take me home. All was well in the world, once again.
A more sturdy fixture was affixed to the stage within a few weeks. It remains there to this day, twenty-four years later.
Safety first.
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Come Join the Awesomeness that is Yeah Write!
Arden Ruth 
haha…that was great!! kids are soooo curious at that age!
I don’t remember much of it. I had to put this together from stories told to me! Haha
Great story. I could totally imagine a little Arden sneaking off towards the curtain… mischievous!
I was a bad child 🙂
Once a dingus always a dingus i guess…
tis true….. wait a second …. ass
Lol. Yup! Locked outside of your apartment, falling off stages and docks…geez.
Well, when you put them all together like that….
ohhh ow!!! and it didn’t deter you from dancing!
Haha! No, apparently not, although I loathed ballet. I found my heaven in tap and jazz!
ahh maybe it can be traced back. haha
Good for you. Making the world safe for other curious children =)
I have lots of fond memories of tap and ballet from when I was younger–the past two years I’ve been lucky enough to get to teach dance to some youngins myself! And I’m here to tell you, they haven’t gotten any less mischievous.
That is exactly what I was doing! Pointing out the hazard. It was my intention all along 🙂
I have an almost 3 year old, so I could totally see this happening! So glad you were OK, little mischievous one 🙂
Haha thanks! I don’t remember much of it but my aunt and mom love telling the story whenever the opportunity comes up!
“I glanced at my mother and noticed that she was preoccupied but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I slithered out of my front row seat and crawled to the curtain, excitement building at the possibilities.”
What a conniving child.. This should have been their cue to know how mischievous you would be..
P.S. i was going to comment on the awesomeness of your memory but I already see that you don;t remember much of it.
Oh I think they understood real fast how sheisty I would be!!
How nice of you to provide free child safety testing for them. 😉 We had some friends over a month ago who have a 5 year old and a 2 year old and they performed very much the same service for us at our house – showing us everything we need to “make safe” before the little prince starts to crawl and walk.
Whoops!
Haha! I didn’t realize I performed such a great public service. Yay me!
I like to drive with my helmet on after roller derby practice and tweet photos that say, “safety first.” 🙂 I love this. It would be so hard and confusing to figure out the “rules” of sitting still and recitals when you had that kind of freedom on the 60 acres! I have two very active boys, so this resonates with me. I don’t take them a lot of places because I know they just couldn’t handle it. Yet. Loved this! And not many people can put “fell into an orchestra pit” on their resume.
It is quite an accomplishment for me, along with getting locked out of hotels while naked and falling off docks. My resume is stacked!
I don’t believe my mom took me to many places for awhile after that! 🙂
hehe I have a three year old. I could so see her doing something like this.
They’re mischievous little things! 🙂
How has your family not wrapped you up in bubble wrap yet? Tis a mystery.
I’m quite surprised I’ve made it this far!
It’s nice to have a legacy, huh?
I’m excited to see what else I can accomplish in the coming years … that’s if I actually live to see them.