Mis-spent youth

I discovered this week that a part of my youth has very likely caused me permanent damage.

As a child I used to do gymnastics for quite a few years. I never displayed any aptitude but it kept me quiet for an hour. This might explain why my parents insisted I persist even in the face of a talent void.

One of the things I have gained from gymnastics is flexible shoulder and hip joints. The one thing I also appear to have gained which is less desirable is a ropey couple of knees.

Gymnastics requires a lot of work with knees locked. A physiotherapist told me (this week) that this is very bad for the the knees as, even when the legs are straight, they should be relaxed and not locked.

This might not have been so bad if, when I left gymnastics behind, I had left locked knees behind. Unfortunately that didn't happen and I thought that standing was supposed to be done with locked knees.

My knees have clicked while I walk ever since I was about 15. I wonder when I'll be needing knee replacement surgery...