Vestibular Coordination

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i'm kinda clutsy in general...

i run into things.... i tend to run people off the sidewalk or into a wall when im walking abreast them...

yet, thanks to martial arts and doing art in general, i have good hand-eye coordination and am really good at sparring (well not saying im a prize figheter by any means) because i'm quick and im really good at grappling and taking a lot of the break falls associated with martial arts.

so in that sense... i have good spatial orientation

yet.... i get lost driving on a regular basis. i've lived in my current town almost 2 yrs and have been driving in it for almost 3 yrs... and i still get lost driving across town to places that i visit on a regular basis, if not frequently... and i often have to go back to my house to find my way to a second destination... like, i can't go to my first destination and then directly to the next... i have found through trial and error that i get lost less often if i ust go back to my house and start from there.... so that's what i tend to do.

I waddle and I bang into things.

I'm uncoordinated. I can't really dance at all. The only dance I can do is the slow dance. I tend to drop things unconsciously (especially if I hold it with one hand) from time to time - it has irritated me over the years. I could never figure out how it happens, so I have learned to try to concentrate hard and make sure that I don't drop things again when I'm holding something in either hands.

I have issues with space, bumping into things. I bump into walls and corners at least once a day. I've stubbed my toes so many times, but have never broken them. I have a couple scars on each outside ends of my eyebrows. All of them bumping into a sharp but flat surface - there's this one time I tried to retrieve a tennis ball under a car, and came up a little too early, hitting the metal bumper and cutting the skin open slightly on the eyebrow, which I had to have stitches on. I can maybe walk on a straight line for a short distance if I focus really, really hard. I used to 'toe-walk' when I was a child (more of walking on the ball of my foot). I have evidence of this which I've uploaded to Youtube. I'm the boy in yellow shirt and skimpy tan shorts - my mom needs to be whacked in the head for dressing me like that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj-sgQX0974[/youtube]

I have odd gait, of course. You could see that in the video (at least I think you can), and I slouch a little bit on the shoulders. It was quite noticeable when I was a little bit more skinny than I am currently (4 years ago, I was 135 lbs, now I'm 175 lbs, 6 feet tall).

However, I can ride bikes just fine, and walk on the ice without slipping. I've lived in Alaska for a year (and more in the future) of which I have only slipped on the ice once by accident. I can drive a car. I can throw balls well, but my accuracy is alright. Took years of practice on that one. However, I have issues with catching balls when it's hit by a player and it is heading for me, especially if it's above my eye level (horizontally). I have a lazy left eye (astigmatism). Oh yeah, and my running style is a bit funny. I haven't videotaped myself doing that, yet.

I honestly don't have any strengths in regard to coordination. Anything that involves any type of motor skills, I'm subpar at best, and for many motoric tasks, I'm completely useless.

I have awful balance, and I also have difficulty gauging my body's position in space. I'm forever stumbling, bumping into things, spilling things, dropping things, knocking things over, etc, etc, etc. My downstairs neighbor is frequently driven to yell up at me, and/ or bang on my ceiling in protest. She used to ring my doorbell to yell at me, but then I stopped answering the door, and left her a note requesting that she bring any complaints about me straight to management (REALLY don't do well with confrontation, but that's a separate issue).

I also have an intense aversion to pretty much all amusement park rides, and climbing anything other than a standard staircase. I was bullied quite a bit about this. I've never met anyone with an aversion like mine. I can't even climb onto one of those Merry Go Round horses due to the intensity of my gravitational insecurity. I do enjoy the swings, though I had a phobia of the swings for four years after being hit by a baby swing at the age of three.

I also have a very visible and conspicuous startle reaction when approached suddenly, or when objects are brought close to my face. My peers had a field day with this back in Junior High.

I have quite an awkward and uneven gait, the sort that wears out shoes at an unnaturally rapid rate. I am frequently unable to manage walking in a straight line. I tend to weave all over the sidewalk when I'm walking, and I often bump into both people an inanimate objects. I always apologize when I notice that I've bumped into someone ... or something. Unfortunately, due to my proprioceptive issues, I sometimes fail to notice when I make these collisions. I've offended numerous people by bumping into them, and not apologizing.

Coordination is a major weakness of mine. I basically can't move without looking awkward.

ETA: I also tend to sit and stand in really strange positions, and I have a pronounced slouch. Thus, I really can't stay still without looking awkward either. I basically look awkward all the time.

My vestibular system is probably way out of whack. I have horrible motion sickness. If I try to read on the subway I am sick for the rest of the day....dizzy and nauseous. Interestingly, I do like to rock back and forth, and play on swivel chairs. I also like to bounce on exercise balls at the gym....but when I tried to do crunches sitting on the side off an exercise ball, I felt slightly dizzy and disoriented from the sensation of moving back and forth while doing crunches. I think if I can control the motion I enjoy it and do not feel dizzy or disoriented...but if I did not initiate or am not controlling the motion then I get motion sickness.

In terms of gait ...,,recently, my best friend was waiting for me to come over......and she was watching for me from her porch with her brother........she asked her brother if he could see me coming and her brother said that he could recognize my awkward gait from a mile away
!

I have a weak vestibular system. I have to wear correctional shoes to stand and walk straight. And I've now got this buzzing in my ear. I've got really bad spatial awareness it takes me a few minutes to cross a road. I've got perfect pitch though.
When I was younger my balance was a lot better then I hit puberty and it went downhill.