Jumping From The Hay Loft

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

When I was a youngster (probably around early teens), I remember how that the boys would climb up in our barn and jump from a rafter down on loose hay below.

Well, it would not do for me NOT to do the same thing, although many things they did I could not do; so I climbed with my arms only up into the barn on the same height from which the others jumped. I took off my leg braces, leaving only my shoes on, and jumped (or fell) down from the top of the barn into the loose hay.

While I am falling, let me tell you one little thing, which I had forgotten in all the business of getting ready to jump down into the hay. I had forgotten (or at least did not think about) the little metal fittings on each side of my shoes where the braces fit back into my shoe.

Then I hit the hay, the soft hay; but the fall was not so soft. You see, I sat down directly on top of one of those little metal fittings on my shoes, and it hurt so bad that I could have cursed. However, we did not curse, so I did not curse; but I sure did feel that hurt.

I suppose you can guess the rest of this story. The end of the story is:  I have never and I will never jump out of the top of a barn onto loose hay again. It takes only one lesson of that kind to make a believer out of me. Happy jumping!