I’ve always been a big fan of bouncing.
Jumping up and down on the spot was something I did from a very early age and it was probably a very early motor tic.
Despite having pretty rubbish coordination when it came to walking, I was fairly nifty on a space hopper and an accomplished pogo sticker by the age of nine.
When I was about eleven I spotted some ‘moon shoes’ in a toyshop. The image on the box showed a child leaping in the air and looking ecstatic. On the box they promised an anti-gravity effect, and I was desperate to get a pair. But my mum was less impressed and could see them for what they probably were – plastic tat that would break as soon as they made contact with my erratic body.
While I never got them as a kid, about a week ago I got something even better, though not for my feet. This time they’re for the front castor wheels of my chair: Frog Legs shock absorbers.
These aren’t normally available on the NHS but my wheelchair therapists think they might help reduce my chronic back and pelvis pain so they were up for me giving them a trial. My unpredictable movements can be forceful, and that means I’m good at stress-testing products. Because it’s an experiment they made it clear to me that if they break quickly they may not be replaced.
I noticed the difference immediately and whenever I go over a bump I feel like a gazelle.
Who needs moon shoes when you’ve got frog legs?